Baits with electrolyte mixtures

Details Baits with electrolyte mixtures Baits with electrolyte mixtures

1999-05-21

2001-08-07

Jordan, Charles T. (Department: 3643)

Fishing, trapping, and vermin destroying

Fishing

Artificial bait

Reexamination Certificate

active

06269586

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to artificial fishing lures for predator fish that contain mixtures of electrolytes, cations and anions that simulate the electrolytes of natural prey.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
For centuries anglers have employed live or dead bait prey to enhance their catch rates of gamefish. By using live, dead, or sundry body parts of various prey species as bait, anglers have enticed gamefish to strike their presentations. There was little scientific investigation into the reasons behind the effectiveness of these natural food sources.
More recently, the industry has sought synthetic fish attractants to reduce the costs while increasing the effectiveness and storage stability of the baits. Fish attractants have come in many different forms. Early attractants were designed as dipping solutions that adhered to the outer surface of an artificial lure. Later, the art evolved toward the use of a stimulant that was molded into the lure body. Such molded compositions released the stimulant in a more controlled rate and exhibited both higher efficacy for longer periods with better ease of use.
The use of sodium chloride in soft plastic baits dates back to at least 1981. The rationale accepted by most anglers is that fish find salt appealing, like humans. The taste of sodium chloride, the reasoning goes, causes gamefish to retain salt-containing lures for longer period. This longer retention time should result in a higher probability of setting the hook with an overall increase in the catch rate (ratio of bites to recovered fish). See, Larew U.S. Pat. No. 4,530,179.
Standard, non-iodized table salt is the common component in salted baits. It is an inexpensive component, readily understood in terms of the human taste experience, and has generated some scientific evidence that some fish species are sensitive to sodium chloride. Nonetheless, there exists a need in the art for artificial gustatory stimulants for fishing lures with an even longer retention rate.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an objective of the present invention to provide a synthetic gustatory stimulant for gamefish that mimics the electrolyte system sensed at the time of a bite by the gamefish or other predator.
It is an objective of the present invention to provide a synthetic gustatory stimulant for fish that can be molded into a soft-bodied artificial lure or blended with a gel, paste, liquid, or kneadable doughbait.
It is a further objective to provide a method for making a soft-bodied artificial lure that contains a gustatory stimulant that causes freshwater and/or saltwater fish to hold the bait for an extended period of time.
In accordance with these and other objectives of the invention that will become apparent from the description herein, the gustatory stimulant of the invention is essentially free of naturally occurring prey animal fluids or tissues and includes:
(a) at least two cations selected from Periodic Table Group IA, IIA, and ammonium cations, and
(b) at least two anions selected from the group consisting of chloride, phosphate, and sulfate.
Gustatory stimulants of the present invention represent a synthetic source of electrolytes that mimic natural prey but which are readily compatible with a wide range of curable polymers, liquids, gels, and doughbait formulations for presentation in a variety of styles. The electrolytes used in the present invention show a significantly higher bait retention time compared to sodium chloride. This additional time provides anglers with additional time to sense the bite and set the hook.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The gustatory stimulants of the present invention are based on a recognition that predator fish require a plurality of electrolytes in the form of mixtures of cations and anions that maintain the electrolyte reserves within the fish. Notably, all animals need not only the sodium and chloride ions found in common table salt, but a host of other electrolytes as well for proper functioning.
Animals constantly lose electrolytes through various secretions. Fish are no exception. For example, freshwater fish maintain an electrolyte concentration gradient of roughly 200-fold between their internal and external environments. Electrolytes are constantly lost through the urine, skin, and gills. Without an external source of electrolytes to constantly replenish those ions lost to the environment the fish will die.
Complex mixtures of electrolytes are used by fish to maintain proper osmoregulation, regulate blood and cell pH, maintain adequate buffering capacity, ensure proper nerve functioning, and the like. While sodium and chloride make up a significant portion of the total electrolytes, many more are equally essential for a healthy predator fish. A partial list of these electrolytes, together with the respective normal quantities found in several animal categories, are provided in Table 1.
TABLE I
Average Ion Content Levels (In mMoles/l) and Normal Ranges (In Parentheses)
Na
+
K
+
Ca
2+
Mg
2+
Cl
−
PO
4
3−
SO
4
2−
Saltwater
469.5
10.0
10.3
53.8
548.5
—
29.6
(459.0-480.0)
 (9.8-10.1)
(10.0-10.9)
(52.5-54.5)
(538.0-670.0)
(28.3-35.0)
Annelids
473.0
11.9
11.2
50.3
546.8
—
26.3
(456.0-483.0)
(10.5-14.0)
(10.1-11.2)
(44.0-53.6)
(538.0-557.0)
(26.0-26.5)
Molluscs
457.9
15.6
10.7
55.5
529.4
13.0
20.9
(180.0-482.0)
 (11.4-179.0)
 (9.0-65.0)
(52.0-65.0)
(109.0-583.5)
(12.0-14.0)
 (6.2-28.9)
Crustaceans
480.4
11.6
15.6
27.4
517.7
—
14.2
(442.0-566.0)
 (9.5-13.3)
 (8.6-34.9)
 (6.8-46.0)
(420.0-629.0)
 (4.0-19.7)
Fish
187.9
 5.5
 3.5
 2.7
173.2
 1.8
 2.1
(142.0-215.0)
(2.0-9.8)
(2.5-5.8)
(1.5-4.0)
(147.0-190.0)
(1.3-2.3)
(0.5-3.1)
Freshwater
 0.4
 0.03
 0.9
 0.1
 0.1
—
 0.1
(0.2-6.1)
(0.01-0.1) 
(0.2-5.0)
(0.02-0.7) 
(0.03-13.4)
(0.9-1.4)
Annelids
 58.5
 5.0
 3.2
 2.3
 52.8
—
—
(21.4-79.0)
(3.7-8.4)
(2.9-3.6)
(0.2-5.0)
(36.0-79.0)
Molluscs
 36.9
 1.9
 5.4
 4.7
 30.8
—
—
(15.0-63.0)
(0.4-4.2)
(3.8-7.8)
(0.2-9.8)
 (7.3-72.0)
Crustaceans
184.6
 5.3
12.1
 3.0
210.3
—
 1.0
 (74.0-278.0)
(3.9-8.4)
 (6.3-19.6)
(1.7-4.3)
(124.0-260.0)
(0.8-1.2)
Fish
142.2
 3.7
 2.8
 1.7
120.4
 3.4
 1.4
(128.0-162.9)
(2.3-5.9)
(2.1-3.6)
(1.2-2.2)
(105.0-149.0)
(0.04-8.7) 
(0.5-2.3)
Amphibians
106.0
 5.1
 2.0
 1.0
 80.4
—
—
(101.0-112.9)
(2.0-5.1)
(1.5-2.5)
(0.5-2.5)
(78.0-81.3)
Terrestrial
Insects
 98.0
11.5
 9.3
14.8
 78.1
 8.6
—
 (11.0-215.0)
 (4.9-19.1)
 (2.4-18.0)
 (0.8-39.0)
 (19.0-144.0)
 (0.1-39.0)
Birds/Reptiles
147.8
 4.2
 3.3
 1.8
113.2
—
—
(121.0-169.0)
(2.6-7.9)
(0.7-7.3)
(0.5-2.9)
 (75.0-151.0)
Mammals
146.6
 5.2
 3.6
 1.7
108.5
—
—
(138.0-153.0)
(4.4-6.0)
(2.5-5.3)
(1.2-2.0)
(102.0-120.0)
For predatory fish—especially freshwater species such as bass, walleye, trout, and pike—a significant portion of their electrolyte intake must be through dietary sources. By consuming prey species (e.g., crayfish, minnows, etc.), and hence the ions provided therein, a predator fish is able to bolster its proper reserves of electrolytes. Thus, each meal effectively recharges the predator's electrolyte system.
Table 2 shows the electrolyte contents found in several common prey organisms that often serve as bait for gamefish.
TABLE 2
Ion content (mg/L) of representative bait organisms
Bait
Na
+
K
+
Ca
2+
Mg
2+
Cl
−
PO
4
3−
SO
4
2−
Bloodworm
11,104
547
521
1,070
19,320
4,815
2,497
Squid
10,070
845
433
1,305
19,498
1,515
782
Crab/shrimp
11,311
468
785
659
18,868
2,963
1,537
Saltwater
11,104
547
521
1,070
19,320
4,815
2,497
baitfish
Night-
1,062
156
116
56
1,702
285
144
crawler
Crayfish
5,219
196
786
75
7,834
160
94
Freshwater
3,271
160
111
53
4,195
331
49
baitfish
Frog
2,364
186
 80
24
2,786
111
58
Cricket
3,701
309
160
136
5,105
370
96
The present invention demonstrates how the att

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