Patent ID: 7644535

Claim:
A container for live bait of chosen size, the container including a bait retrieval assembly and comprising: a substantially rigid lid removably disposed on an upper periphery of the container, the container having an internal area with a cross-section; the lid having an access opening having a diameter adapted for the passage of a single human hand, and a flap hingedly connected to the lid so as to allow access of the hand into the container; the bait retrieval assembly comprising an L-shaped frame including a pair of spaced-apart rectilinear vertical members having upper ends and lower ends, and a pair of spaced-apart horizontal rectilinear members attached to the lower ends of the vertical members in substantially orthogonal relationship therewith; a bowl-shaped colander or perforated basket supported on the horizontal rectilinear members; the L-shaped frame being vertically reciprocable relative to the lid by up-and-down movement of the vertical members through apertures in the lid; the vertical members being in mirror image relationship with one another, and spaced so that a distance between longitudinal center lines of the vertical members at the lower ends is less than a distance between longitudinal center lines of the vertical members at the upper ends; the apertures in the lid being spaced-apart at a distance therebetween corresponding to the distance between the longitudinal center lines of the vertical member at the upper ends which are slidable therein, but being spaced apart at the distance therebetween which is greater than the distance between the longitudinal center lines at the lower ends; the colander or perforated basket being insertable in the container, the colander or perforated basket having a periphery adapted to be sufficiently closely adjacent an internal periphery of the container to prevent the escape of the bait; whereby the L-shaped frame may be raised, and a bait of choice in the colander or perforated basket retrieved using only one hand.