Fishing – trapping – and vermin destroying – Fishing – Artificial bait
Reexamination Certificate
2002-08-02
2004-01-13
Ark, Darren W. (Department: 3643)
Fishing, trapping, and vermin destroying
Fishing
Artificial bait
C043S042060, C043S042350, C043S042360, C043S042050, C043S042530
Reexamination Certificate
active
06675525
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to fishing tackle and equipment, and more particularly to a disposable lure having a fish attracting scent therewith. The present lure contains a buoyant element therein, providing for the lure to be positioned at a predetermined depth above the bottom or below the surface of the body of water in which it is used, depending upon the length of the depending weighted leader.
2. Description of the Related Art
The activity of fishing has become more sophisticated over the years, as anglers have continually learned more about the sport. Initially, anglers used natural fish foods (worms, insects, minnows, etc.) as bait, all of which work fairly well, but which have their drawbacks. The use of any live or recently killed natural prey, leads to acquisition and storage problems for the angler. It is always easier to attain and retain an artificial lure, than to attain and retain natural bait (minnows, etc.) for fish, and to keep that natural bait in a fresh state.
As a result, the artificial lure was developed. Such artificial lures have a myriad of different configurations, ranging from flies made of plastic, bird feathers or down, etc. for fly fishing, to various types of wood and plastic plugs and other lures which are intended to at least loosely resemble a large insect, tadpole, or other prey commonly eaten by many types of fish.
A universal problem with such artificial lures, is that they do not emanate the scent of a natural bait organism. Fish often rely heavily upon the sense of scent in order to find food, with scent being more heavily relied upon at relatively greater distances and among fish species which frequent dark and/or murky waters. A fish which is primarily attracted to food or prey by the scent given off by that prey, will not seek out an unnaturally scented or unscented artificial lure by means of the sense of scent.
Accordingly, anglers began to treat artificial lures with various scents intended to attract fish, such as various types of oils and the like attained from other fish, etc. Many artificially developed scents have also been developed, which have been found to be attractive to fish. The combination of a lure which emits a fish attractive scent, to lure fish from a relatively great distance from the lure, and a lure having a visually attractive appearance to the fish to attract the fish at relatively closer range, has resulted in much greater success for the angler, when all other factors are equal.
However, the scents which are generally attractive to fish, are often at least somewhat repellent to humans. The need to open a container of scent and treat the lure with the scent in some manner, is generally regarded as a less than pleasant task for the angler. This led to lures which were pretreated with a scent material. However, the scent was not sealed within the lure, so the same problem of the lure emitting a scent which was undesirable to the angler, still existed.
Anglers have also found that different species of fish tend to prefer different types of water conditions, and different levels in a given body of water as well. For example, bass tend to live in relatively still waters, generally with some type of vegetation or the like growing on the bottom. Bass are a very popular game fish for the angler, and accordingly, anglers have sought to develop lures and equipment which are suited for such an environment.
Ideally, a lure intended for bass (or other fish having similar habits) would emit a fish attractive scent, as fish adapted to such conditions rely heavily upon scent to locate their prey. The lure should not float upon the surface, as bass and other fish with similar habits do not generally feed upon the surface. However, the lure should not sink to the bottom either, but should seek some level above the bottom, clear of weeds and/or other obstructions on the bottom of the body of water. Finally, the scent with which the lure is treated, should remain sealed until the lure is used, with the lure being economically disposable after a single use in order to minimize exposure to the scent material.
The present disposable, buoyant scented lure responds to each of the above needs, while conventional lures developed in the past fail to achieve one or more of the above aspects. A discussion of the related art of which the present inventor is aware, and its differences and distinctions from the present invention, is provided below.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,688,430 issued on Sep. 5, 1972 to Duane C. Balch, titled “Fishing Lure,” describes a few different embodiments of a lure comprising a flexible pouch with a slit along one side, somewhat like a conventional coin purse for carriage in a pocket. The hook and leader are installed along the bottom of the slit, with the leader passing through the pouch. Additional passages may be provided in the pouch in order for the scent of the bait contained therein to be emitted into the surrounding water during use. In one embodiment, the scent is sealed within a frangible container within the pouch. In contrast, the present scented lure is completely sealed until use, with the angler inserting the hook through the side of the lure and through the otherwise sealed scent containing area in order to allow the scent to escape therefrom. Moreover, the present lure is buoyant, economically disposable, and may include means for suspending the lure at a predetermined distance above the bottom or below the surface of the body of water in which it is used. Balch is silent regarding these features.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,953,934 issued on May 4, 1976 to Melvin J. Visser, titled “Odoriferous Fishing Device,” describes the impregnation of a sintered metal device (i.e., a powdered metal which has been processed to form a body with a myriad of minute porosities therein) with a material which has a scent which attracts fish. The basic structure of the device is the same as that of an Oilite® bearing, but rather than impregnating the sintered metal with lubricating oil, a material having a fish attracting scent is used. No sealing of the scent within the lure before use is disclosed by Visser, nor is the method of installing a hook in the device for breaking the sealed capsule, as provided by the present invention. Visser also does not provide flotation for his lure.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,964,203 issued on Jun. 22, 1976 to William O. Williams, Jr., titled “Fishing Lure,” describes the use of a strip of chamois material which has been impregnated with animal blood, fish oil, and/or other fish attracting material. Williams, Jr. installs a hook through the flat piece of chamois, or, alternatively attaches the chamois to the hook of an existing lure. Williams, Jr. does not disclose any means of sealing the scent within the exposed chamois material prior to installing a hook therein for use, nor does he describe any inherent buoyancy or flotation for his chamois lure. The present lure seals the scent producing material therein until it is punctured by a hook immediately prior to use, and is also buoyant in order to be used at any desired depth, depending upon the associated tackle.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,969,840 issued on Jul. 20, 1976 to John R. E. Charron, titled “Fishing Lure,” describes a series of lure embodiments, each having a tubular body with a separable closure. The hollow body is used to contain various materials which producer a scent which attracts fish. In some embodiments, the cap or closure may include a needle which may be used to puncture the hollow body, in order to release the contents of the body. However, the Charron device is not buoyant if pierced, as indicated in column 2, lines 36-37 of the Charron '840 U.S. Patent. Moreover, Charron intends for his lure to be reusable and to be recharged or refilled with scent material, unlike the economically disposable lure of the present invention. Also, while Charron provides means for the attachment of hooks to his lure body, and in fact installs the shank of a hook through the body in at least some e
Ark Darren W.
Litman Richard C.
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