Patent ID: 7434350

Claim:
A two-handed fish hook removal apparatus to assist a user in removing a fish hook from a landed fish, said apparatus comprising: a rectilinear and elongated shaft having a centrally disposed longitudinal axis and opposed end portions, one said end portions defining a hook suitably sized and shaped for fitting into a fish's mouth, said hook being slidably and removably engageable with a fish hook for removing the fish hook from the fish's mouth; wherein said shaft has a length sufficient long to enable a user to safely remove a hook from a landed fish without risking injury from contact with the spines, fins or teeth of the fish; a grip member axially and directly positioned about another said end portions, said grip member including a plurality of monolithically formed and linearly juxtaposed indentations equidistantly spaced along a length of said grip member such that said grip member can be firmly grasped by a user; a clevis directly attached to said shaft and situated proximate said grip member, said clevis extending upwardly from said shaft and having a substantially inverted U-shape oppositely spaced from said hook of said elongated shaft, said clevis being statically and fixedly coupled to said shaft; and a handle including directly conjoined body and rod portions, said rod portion having opposed end portions, said body portion being axially and directly positioned about one said end portion of said rod, said rod extending outwardly from said body and parallel to a longitudinal axis of said body, said body portion having a non-circular shape; wherein another said end portion of said rod defines a monolithically formed eyelet, said eyelet being directly and rotatably engageable with said clevis such that the position of the handle can be selectively adapted for use by left or right handed users, said eyelet having a circular shape provided with an opening that allows said eyelet to maintain direct contact about said clevis while said handle is rotated about said shaft, wherein said opening has a diameter substantially equal to a thickness of said clevis such that said eyelet is prohibited from disengaging said clevis during rotational movements of said handle; wherein said handle is abutted against said shaft in such a manner that rotation of said handle towards said shaft causes said hook to twist about a fishing hook lodged within the fish's mouth and thereby effectively dislodge the fishing hook while the user's hands remain at a safe distance away from the fish's mouth; wherein said rod portion of said handle has a longitudinal length that is shorter than a longitudinal length of said shaft; wherein said body portion of said handle has a substantially cylindrical shape; wherein said one end portion of said rod portion is interfitted and penetrated approximately midway into said body portion.