Fishing – trapping – and vermin destroying – Fishing – Methods of fishing
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-31
2001-03-06
Lavinder, Jack W. (Department: 3644)
Fishing, trapping, and vermin destroying
Fishing
Methods of fishing
C043S017000, C043S021200
Reexamination Certificate
active
06195928
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
(a) Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to a system for providing a signal to indicate that a fish has taken the fishing line while fishing with a rod and reel. More particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a device for holding a fishing rod and providing a signal when a fish takes the line.
(b) Discussion of Known Art
In the sport of ice fishing a fisherman will walk to a location over a frozen body of water and drill a hole through the ice to access the liquid water below the ice. As is expected, the water in the lake or area being is much colder than during summer months, and may even be at or very close to freezing temperatures. Because of the low temperatures of the water, the activity of the fish that inhabit the lake will have slowed down significantly due to the fact that fish are cold blooded animals. The low activity or almost lethargic state of fish in these waters makes detection of nibbling or similar fish activity very difficult. The fish may simply take the bait in their mouths and gently hold it there until they garner enough appetite or desire to actually bite down on or swallow the bait. Accordingly, this activity is nearly undetectable to the fisherman waiting on the ice above. Moreover, the fact that the fish do not bite down on the bait, but merely hold it in their mouths and then gently drift or move away from the location where found the bait, it is important to note that any sudden pull or jerk of the line will cause the bait, together with the hook, to fall out of the fish's mouth. Of course, this will mean that the fisherman will have missed the opportunity to let the fish take the bait and hook deeper into its mouth, to a location where the fisherman can finally set the hook and begin reeling the fish in.
There are a number of devices which produce some sort of signal when the fish has struck. Typically, these devices rely on the sharp tug that is experienced when a fish takes the bait under normal conditions. Under “normal conditions” being at times when the water is not cold enough to cause fish activity to slow down. Under these conditions the fish will eagerly take the bait to keep the bait food from other fish who may also be competing for food. This kind of activity results in vigorous tugging on the fishing line. The tugging is used to activate alarm mechanisms such as the signaling device taught in U.S. Pat. No. 2,302,337 to Mantell. The Mantell device produces flashing signals in response to the flexing of the fishing rod caused by the vigorous tugging of the fish.
Many other devices use systems that mount on the fishing rod itself and which can disturb the weight distribution of the fishing rod and reel combination. Additionally, attachment directly to the rod can lead to fouling of the line while casting or reeling the line in. Examples of devices that attach to the rod are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,794,719 to Rabino, U.S. Pat. No. 5,228,228 to Meissner, U.S. Pat. No. 5,261,180 to Foster et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,396,726 to Zepeda, Sr., Des. U.S. Pat. No. 281,805.
A review of these devices reveals that there remains a need for a device that aids fishermen in knowing when a fish is grasping or playing with the bait, the device not being mountable on the fishing rod itself, thereby preventing the fouling or imbalance of the fishing tackle.
There remains a need for a system that allows fishermen, and particularly ice fishermen, to detect when a fish is taking the bait. There remains a need for a device that allows the fish to gently grasp the bait, then swim away with the bait, while providing a signal to the fisherman that the fish is swimming away with the bait.
There remains a need for a signaling device that provides a signal without requiring that the fish tug vigorously on the fishing line.
There remains a need for a signaling device that allows the fish to swim away with the baited line while providing a signal as the fish swims away, and thus allowing the fisherman the opportunity to decide when to tug on the line to sink the hook into the fish's mouth.
Still further, there remains a need for a signaling device that does not require modification or attachment to the fishing pole or rig.
SUMMARY
It has been discovered that the problems left unanswered by known art can be solved by providing a rod support frame which includes:
a fishing rod support portion with a rod mounting portion; and
a signaling device mounted near the rod support portion, the signaling device releasably holding fishing line and having an alarm that responds to the release of the fishing line. The signaling device being mounted next to so that fishing line from a rod held in the rod support portion may extend through from the rod and on to the signaling device before extending towards the remainder of the rod and into the water.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention the support portion includes a frame having an elongated base, which in a highly preferred embodiment consists of an elongated member. The elongated member will preferably include a first end and a second end. The first end of the elongated member will preferably include at least one leg which is preferably pivotally attached to the first end of the elongated member. It is further contemplated that in a commercial embodiment of the invention the elongated member is simply an elongated section of rod and the leg is simply another section of rod that is pivotally fastened to the first end of the elongated body.
The second end of the elongated body will preferably include a fishing rod support, which in a preferred embodiment includes a sleeve or slot that accepts the handle portion of a fishing rod, as to support the rod and reel together over the elongated member.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention the signaling device includes a body that includes a spring loaded set of contacts that can hold the fishing line between the two contacts. The spring loaded feature of the contacts allows the placement of the fishing line between the contacts to create and open electrical circuit, which will then close as soon as the fishing line is removed from between the contacts and the contacts touch one another. The spring loaded contacts will preferably include a resilient support for one electrical contact and an adjusting device adjusting the amount of spring load or bias imposed by the resilient support. Moreover, according to a highly preferred embodiment of the invention the contacts will be of a generally spherical shape, which will enhance the ease with which the line is removed from between the contacts.
Preferably, the signaling device will be supported by the fishing rod support or base at a location near the reel of the fishing rod. Most preferably, the signaling device will be placed along the elongated member of the base, between the first end and the second end of the elongated member. This arrangement will allow the spool of the fishing reel to left in an open, or free wheeling position, such that the reel provides little or no resistance to the removal of line from the reel when a fish begins to swim away with the bait. Thus, the line is held at a desired location relative to the reel by the signaling device, and is easily released from the signaling device in response to a very gentle tug by a fish. The signaling device will produce an audible or other signal once the line is released. The release of the line will leave spool in the fully open or release position, allowing the line to be released from the spool with little or no resistance.
It should also be understood that while the above and other advantages and results of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description and accompanying drawings, showing the contemplated novel construction, combinations and elements as herein described, and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it should be clearly understood that changes in the precise embodiments of the herein disclosed invention are meant to be inclu
Nachtsheim George L.
Nachtsheim Steven L.
Crabtree Edwin H.
Lavinder Jack W.
Pizarro Ramon L.
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