GB2087201A

GB2087201A - Artificial fishing baits

Info

Publication number: GB2087201A
Application number: GB8036468A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: TIBBS ALBERT GEORGE CHARLES
Current assignee: TIBBS ALBERT GEORGE CHARLES
Priority date: 1980-11-13
Filing date: 1980-11-13
Publication date: 1982-05-26
Also published as: GB2087201B

Abstract

The invention relates to artificial fishing baits, in particular to spinner and minnow baits. The bait comprises a tubular carrier 10 having a bore slidingly to pass a fishing trace or other line 16a and at least one demountable component member 12. The demountable component members can include, for example, a spinner blade, fish hook, bait weight or body member simulating the appearance of a fish. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to artificial fishing baits This invention relates to artificial fishing baits and in particular, but not exclusively, to spinner and min now baits.

Artificial baits of the spinner type commonly comprise an elongated body portion carrying at one end thereof a fish hook and having extending from it at the other end a wire or like extension adapted to be attached at its free end to the free end of a trace or other line and having rotatably mounted thereon a metal plate or other spinner blade whose shape and dimensions are such that when the bait is drawn through the water blade rotates with respect to the body of the bait. The bait body is normally selected so that its weight is suitable for particular fishing conditions.

It is the common experience of fishermen, for example when fishing for salmon or trout using an artificial bait, that the various components of the bait, for example the spinner blade, the weight of the body and the hook are all very important, and that any particular combination of spinner blade, weight and hook are satisfactory for only a very limited range of fishing conditions. Consequently, as condi tions change during a fishing expedition, the fisher man tries to select a spinner blade, weight and hook (or other components) suitable for the height of the water or other conditions prevailing at the time, and in order to achieve this it is necessary frequently to change the artificial bait during the expedition so as ,to match the change in conditions.The result is that in order to be satisfactorily equipped for such changes in conditions the fisherman finds it neces sary to carry a large number of baits. Moreover, if the hook of conventional artificial baits is broken the whole bait has to be discarded.

There is, therefore, a demand for an artificial bait whose functional components, for example spinner blade, weight, both shape and/or colour, and/or hook, can be changed simply and quickly and replaced by selected alternatives. The present inven tion now provides such artificifal baits.

In one aspect the invention provides an artificial bait comprising a tubular carrier having a bore slidinglyto pass a fishing trace or other line; and at least one demountable component member which can be carried by the tubular carrier.

In preferred forms of the invention the tubular carrier is adapted to carry more than one demount able component member, for example a weight and a demountable spinner blade though the invention includes artificial baits whose tubular carrier carries only a single demountable component (for example a spinner blade or weight) and also baits carrying more than two demountable component members.

Where the tubular carrier carries a spinner blade, the latter is conveniently attached to the carrier by means of a spring swivel. A spring swivel of particular interest is one used in conjunction with aperture means in the spinner blade by means of which the blade can be attached to the swivel. The swivel can, for example, be formed with one or more loop portions for engagement with engagement means (for example one or more circumferential grooves) formed in or on the tubular carrier. Provided that the spring swivel is accurately formed with respect to the carrier it is possible to provide a swivel action whereby the spring swivel can rotate with respect to the longitudinal axis of the tubular carrier and thereby permit the blade to revolve about said axis.

In an alternative form of the invention the spinner blade is carried by a swivel or other connection embracing the carrier and held in place by collets or other suitable retention means. If desired, frictional resistance to rotation of the swivel can be minimised by the use of a plastics or other bead located on one or both sides of the swivel.

Where the tubular carrier carries a demountable weight, the latter is conveniently of annular shape having a bore which is loose sliding fit on the external surface of the carrier, and with this arrange ment the carrier and/or the weight are conveniently provided with retention means to hold it in place on the carrier, for example radially outwardly extending projections from or enlargements of the carrier.

Such projections or enlargements are conveniently provided by means of a demountable weight retention or engagement member having, for example, a spigot portion engagablewith the bore of the tubular carrier. Such engagement members can provide one or more of the projection or enlargement members referred to above.

As stated above, the invention includes artificial baits other than spinner baits, for example baits resembling in their general appearance Devon minnows. Devon minnow baits have an overall torpedolike shape and usually have a colour or colours, pattern or other visual aspect which is attractive to salmon or trout when drawn through the water. In a preferred form the minnow or fish-like artificial baits of the invention have a body comprises of head and tail portions each having a bore therein by means of which it can be mounted on the tubular carrier. The means for holding the head and tail portions in place on the carrier can take one of a variety of forms, for example inwardly directed flanges which engage with grooves in the carrier.

There is now described, by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, several artificial baits according to preferred embodiments of the invention. In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a spinner bait; Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the bait of Figure 1; Figure 3 illustrates, on a larger scale, the means of attachment of the spinner blade of the bait of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a perspective view of a hair lure suitable as a demountable component member of the bait of Figure 1; Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of a second preferred embodiment having rotatable vanes and the lure of Figure 4; Figure 6 is a perspective view of a third preferred embodiment in the form of an artificial minnow bait; and Figure 7 is an exploded view of the bait of Figure 6.

Referring to Figures 1 to 3, the bait comprises a tubular carrier 10, spring swivel 11, spinner blade 12, annular weight 13, weight retention member 14, and fish hook 16 attached to trace 16a.

The tubular carrier 10 which is of brass has an enlargement 17 comprising a sleeve of plastics material, for example polyethylene, firmly attached to the central zone of the carrier, for example by bonding or as a close push fit. The portion of the carrier to the lefthand side of the enlargement (as viewed in Figure 2) has two parallel, spaced apart circumferential grooves 18, 19, groove 19 being adjacent the left hand end of enlargement 17. The portion of carrier 10 to the right hand side of enlargement 17 has formed therein an annular shoulder (not shown) whose purpose is described below. The bore at the left hand end of carrier 10 is lined with a sleeve 20 of plastics material, for example polyethylene, which acts as a low friction guide forthe trace 16a.

The spring swivel 11 consists of a length of spring wire shaped so as to provide a loop portion 21, a clip portion 22 and a bridge portion 23 interconnecting the loop and clip portions. The spinner blade consists of a thin oval metal plate both of whose surfaces are light-reflective or otherwise adapted, for example by their colour, to attract fish when in motion through the water, and the blade has formed at one end thereof a small hole 24 by means of which it can be attached to and carried by the spring swivel 11. Figure 3 illustrates how, by suitable deformation of the spring swivel the clip portion thereof can be passed through aperture 24 so as to mount the blade on the swivel.The loop and clip portions of the spring swivel, by use of suitable manual pressure, can be engaged with the left hand portion of the tubular carrier 10 and resiliently engaged with circumferential grooves 18 and 19 respectively. By this this means the spinner blade can be mounted on the carrier 10 for rotary movement or other spinning motion with respect to the longitudinal axis of the carrier.

The annularweight 13 has formed therein a bore 24 such that the weight is a sliding fit on the righthand portion of the carrier 10. The weight can, if desired, be of a shape and/or colour such as to attract fish.

The weight retention member 14 comprises a tail portion 26, a spigot portion 27 and disposed between the tail and spigot portions an enlargement 28. A bore 29 extends the full length of bearing member 14 and is coaxial with the longitudinal axis thereof. The external dimension of the spigot portion 27 is such as to be a push fit in the bore of the right hand end of the carrier 10. When the weight 13 is in place on the right hand portion of carrier 10 and the spigot portion 27 of member 14 is pushed home in the bore of carrier 10 the weight is thereby retained on carrier 10 between enlargements 17 and 28.

Member 14 is conveniently formed from a plastics material, for example polyethylene. If other demountable components are used, for example collars carrying hair or fur for attraction, they can conveniently be mounted on the carrier adjacent the weight or body member.

Fish hook 16 is of the triple hooktype and has a shank 34 in which is formed an eye 35 by means of which the hook can be attracted to the trace 16a. The shape and dimensions of shank 34 are such that it is a push fit in bore 29 at the tail end of weight retention member 14.

The artificial bait described above can be assembled as follows. The spring swivel, having been attached to the spinner blade by way of aperture 24 as described above, is pressed home on the carrier 10 until the loop and clip portions engage respectiveliy with the circumferential grooves 18 and 19. The annular weight is then fed on to the right hand portion of carrier 10 and the spigot 27 of member 14 is pushed into the bore of carrier 10, thereby trapping the weight ;i3 between enlargements 17 and 28. The free end of trace 1 6a is then fed in turn through the bore 20 of carrier 10 and bore 29 of member 14 until it emerges at the tail of the latter.

The free end of the trace can then be attached to the hook by means of eye 35 and gently tightened thereby drawing the shank of hook 16 against the tail of member 14 and the shank of the hook is manually inserted into the bore 29.

It will be seen that in the preferred embodiment described above, the spinner blade 12, annular weight 13, weight retention member 14 and the hook 16 are demountable with respect to the tubular member 10 and can be replaced, as desired, by alternatives to suit varying conditions met by the fisherman. For example, the weight 13 can be replaced by a weight of greater or lesser weight and/or of different colour or other aspect, and/or the hook 16 can be replaced by a hook of different size or different design. If it is wished to change the hook then all that is necessary is to pull the hook until its shank disengages from the bore of member 14, untie the end of the trace and retie it to a suitable alternative hook.If it is desired to replace the weight 13, the end of the trace is detached from the hook, and member 14 is slid offthe trace followed by the weight 13; the substitute weight can then be mounted on carrier 10 and the bait reassembled.

The spinner blade 14 can also be replaced by alternatives as required but it is not necessary to untie the trace to do so: it is possible to disengage the clip portion 22 of the spring swivel 11 from the groove 19, manually to squeeze the clip portion 22 so that the spinner blade can be disengaged from the spring swivel and to substitute an alternative spinner blade and to reassemble in the reverse order.

It will be seen that artificial baits according to the present invention provide valuable flexibility as to the combination of spinner blade, weight and hook which can be used at any particular time; the fisherman is relieved from the necessity of carrying a large number of separate baits to meet the wide variety of conditions to be expected during fishing, and it is sufficient if he has one tubular carrier together with an appropriate selection of spinner blades, weights, body members, hooks and/or other demountable components.

The hair lure illustrated in Figure 4 comprises a collar 38 to which is firmly attached, for example by binding with thread or by means of adhesive, hairs 39 whose shape and/or aspect is such as to be attractive to fish when the lure is in motion through water.

The artificial bait illustrated in Figure 5 comprises a tubular carrier 40, which can be of the same form as the carrier 10 of Figures 1 and 2, a vane member 41 comprising two mutually inclined vanes 42,43 and a location aperture 44 by means of which the vane member can be rotatably mounted on carrier 40, collets 45 and 46 of plastics material, for example polyethylene, which are a push fit on carrier 40, a hair lure 47 (as illustrated in Figure 4) and collet 48 for retaining the lure 47 in place on the carrier, collet 48 being of plastics material, for example polyethylene, and a push fit on carrier 40. The bore at the left hand end of carrier 40 as viewed in Figure 5 is lined with a sleeve 49 of plastics material, for example polyethylene, which acts as a low friction guide for the trace or other line 16a.

Referring to Figures 6 and 7, the bait comprises a tubular carrier 50 on which there are mounted, as demountable components, a minnow body 51 comprising a head portion 52 and a tail portion 53. The head portion carries two mutually inclined vanes 54 and has formed therein a longitudinally extending bore 55 of dimensions such that the head is a sliding fit on carrier 50. The carrier has, at the head end thereof two parallel, spaced apart circumferential grooves 56, 57 for engagement with two parallel spaced apart circumferential flanges (not shown) or other suitable projections from the bore 55. When these two flanges are brought into engagement with the two grooves, the head is thereby fixed in place on the carrier 50. The rear end of the head is formed with two semi-annular surfaces 58,59 each inclined to each other, the purpose of which is described below.

The tail portion 53 of the minnow body has formed therein a longitudinal extending bore 60 to take the carrier 50, and this bore has an enlarged portion 61 to act as a buoyancy chamber or to accommodate a weight, for example a sleeve which is a sliding fit on the carrier 50 whereby when the tail portion is in place on the carrier the sleeve is retained in the annular recess provided between the external surface of the carrier 50 and the surface of the enlarged portion of the bore. The leading end of the tail body portion is formed with two semi-annular surfaces 63, 64 inclined to each other and to the longitudinal axis of the tail portion at angles corresponding to the angles at which the semi-annular surfaces of the head portion are inclined to each other and to the longitudinal axis of that portion. The longitudinally extending faces extending between adjacent ends of the semi-annular surfaces together provide a means of preventing relative movement of the head and tail portions when the bait is drawn through the water.

Carrier 50 has two grooves 65, 66 which can be similar to grooves 56,57 for engagement on the bore with flanges or the like (not shown) which can be similar two the flanges in the head portion.

The hook shank can bear against the tail of the minnow by means of a tulip or bead or a member similar to member 14 of Figure 2.

Claims

1. An artificial bait comprising a tubular carrier having a bore slidingly to pass a fishing trace or other line; and at least one demountable component member which can be carried by the tubular carrier.

2. An artificial bait according to Claim 1, in which said demountable component member has a bore or other orifice by which said member can be mounted on the outer surface of the carrier.

3. An artificial bait according to Claim 2, in which the carrier has a circular cross-section and said orifice is circular.

4. An artificial bait according to Claim 1, 2 or 3, in which said demountable component member is held in place on the carrier by radially extending means carried by the carrier.

5. An artificial bait according to Claim 4, in which said radially extending means is a sleeve which is a push fit on the carrier.

6. An artificial bait according to any of the preceding claims, in which said demountable component member is a hook.

7. An artificial bait according to any of Claims 1 to 5, in which said demountable component member is a collar carrying hair or fur for fish attraction.

8. An artificial bait according to any of Claims 1 to 5, in which said demountable component member is a spinner blade.

9. An artificial bait according to Claim 8, in which the spinner blade is carried on the carrier by a spring swivel.

10. An artificial bait according to Claim 9, in which the spring swivel comprises wire loop means to embrace the carrier, the carrier having groove means formed therein to hold the swivel in place on the carrier.

11. An artificial bait according to any of Claims 1 to 5, in which said demountable component member is a member adapted to provide a fish-attractive aspect.

12. An artificial bait according to Claim 11, in which said fish attractive member also constitutes a bait weight.

13. An artificial bait according to Claim 11 or 12, which has a vane member.

14. An artificial bait according to Claim 11 or 12, in which said demountable component member has the likeness of a fish.

15. An artificial bait according to Claim 14, in which said demountable component member has a longitudinally extending bore at least part of whose length is substantially greater than the external dimensions of the carrier, thereby providing an annular or like space between the carrier and the bore to accommodate a weight or to act as a buoyancy chamber.

16. An artificial bait according to Claim 1,sub- stantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

17. An artificial bait substantially as described herein and substantially as shown in Figures 1,2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.

18. An artificial bait substantially as described herein and substantially as shown in Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings.

19. An artificial bait substantially as described herein and substantially as shown in Figures 6 and 7 of the accompanying drawings.

New claims or amendments to claims filed on 10/7/81 Superseded Claims 1 New or amended claims:

1. An artificial bait comprising a tubular carrier having a bore slidingly to pass a fishing trace or other line; and at least one demountable component member which can be carried by the carrier; said carrier having stop means disposed at each end portion of the carrierto prevent said demountable component from sliding off the carrier, at least one of said means being disengageablefrom the carrier to permit said demountable component to be mounted on the carrier.