Patent ID: 7520088

Claim:
A fishing device in combination with a fishing line comprising: a plane having a forward end and a rearward end; guide means on the plane for guiding the fishing line, one end of the fishing line extending to a baiting lure and an other end of the fishing line being reelable for trolling; a first releasable tripping means on the plane having a first pair of jaws spaced by a gap adjusted by a first force adjusting screw received in first holes formed in the first pair of jaws and a latched condition clamping the plane to the fishing line such that upon trolling, the device dives downwardly at an angle to the fishing line, the first tripping means having a released condition unclamping the plane to slide along the fishing line in a trolling direction, the first tripping means including a first pivoted latch arm frictionally retained by the first pair of jaws, the first latch arm having a front end and a rear end, a front upstanding tab on the forward end of the plane pivotally mounting the first latch arm and also guiding the fishing line rearwardly through the front upstanding tab, the front end of the first latch arm being attached at the front upstanding tab, the first latch arm having a first eyelet at the rear end of the first latch arm opposite the front tab, the fishing line extending through the first eyelet and then through the front tab; a second releasable tripping means connected to and engageable with the first releasable tripping means, the second tripping means having a second pair of jaws spaced apart by a gap adjusted by a second force adjusting screw received in second holes formed in the second pair of jaws, and a second pivoted latch arm pivotable about the first force adjusting screw, the second latch arm being frictionally retained by the second pair of jaws and provided with a second eyelet engageable with the fishing line in a latched condition, the second tripping means having a released condition responsive to a strike of a fish on the lure for causing engagement of the second latch arm with the first latch arm and providing free sliding passage of the fishing line through the guide means, wherein turning of the first and second force adjusting screws creates different levels of frictional retention of the first and second latch arms in the respective first and second pair of jaws to establish desired tensioning on the fishing line, and a series of index elements provided on at least a single jaw of the first and second pairs of jaws and extending radially outwardly of at least a single periphery of the first and second holes in the jaws for recording rotary positions of the first and second force adjusting screws when they are turned to establish tensioning.