Patent ID: 7513075

Claim:
A locking swivel snap apparatus, including a housing extending along a generally longitudinal axis between an upper end and a lower end, the housing comprising: a fishing line receiving member located at or near the first end of the housing; a hollow interior region, the hollow interior region comprising a bearing surface at the lower end of the housing; an opening located at the lower end of the housing, wherein the opening is in communication with the hollow interior region; and a pair of housing apertures extending through a portion of the housing, wherein said pair of housing apertures are generally located along an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the housing; a rotatable member, wherein at least a portion of the rotatable member is retained within the housing, the rotatable member comprising: a head portion retained within the hollow interior region of the housing, the head having a cross-sectional dimension which is larger than a cross-sectional dimension of the opening in the housing; a shaft portion extending through the opening along an axis generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the housing; and at least one shaft aperture extending through the shaft in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the housing; a removable flexible clip, wherein a portion of the flexible clip is inserted through the pair of housing apertures and the shaft aperture, wherein the portion of the flexible clip extending through the pair of housing apertures interacts with the pair of housing apertures to inhibit rotation of the shaft relative to the housing about the longitudinal axis of the housing, and wherein said shaft is able to rotate relative to said housing when said flexible clip is not inserted through said pair of housing apertures; a first fishing line secured to the housing via the fishing line receiving member; and a piece of terminal fishing tackle or bait secured to the removable flexible clip.