Patent ID: 7010880

Claim:
A fishing tool comprising: (a) a top member comprising a thin, flexible strip of spring metal that is concave in shape and has a prying end and a plier end; (b) a base member comprising a rigid strip of sheet metal having a shot-opening end and a shot-closing end; (c) a center joint pivotally connecting the top member and the base member at their respective mid-sections, such that respective longitudinal axes of the top member and the base member cannot cross one another, and such that the prying end of the top member can be flexed downward to contact the shot-opening end of the base member, while the plier end of the top member can be flexed downward to contact the shot-closing end of the base member; (d) a prying tool comprising a wedge-shaped appendage at the prying end, an edge of the wedge-shaped appendage extends downward toward the base member, such that manual pressure exerted downward on the prying end causes it to bend, bringing the prying tool into contact with the shot-opening end of the base member; (e) a concave depression positioned on the base member where the prying tool makes contact with the base member and sized to hold split shot of various diameters, such that when a split shot attached to a fishing line is placed in the concave depression and manual pressure is exerted downward on the prying end, the descending prying tool penetrates a split in the split shot and pries it open, thereby releasing the fishing line; (f) a plier tool comprising an undersurface of the plier end of the top member, such than manual pressure exerted downward on the plier end causes it to bend, bringing the plier tool into contact with the shot-closing end of the base member; (g) a splayed groove positioned on the base member, on an opposite side of the center joint from the concave depression, where the plier tool makes contact with the base member and widening toward the shot-closing end of the base member, the splayed groove is sized to secure in place split shot of various diameters, such that when a split shot threaded with fishing line is secured in the splayed groove and manual pressure is exerted downward on the plier end, the split shot is compressed between the descending plier tool and the splayed groove, which causes a split in the shot to close around the fishing line, thus securing the split shot to the line.