GB2298115A - Swimfeeder - Google Patents

Abstract

A swimfeeder which is generally elongate in an intended horizontal direction has at least one weight 2 locator on its intended base which is itself elongate in the said intended horizontal direction and has at least one hook-line locator 10 on its upper side.

Description

A bait feeder device for use in angling or fishing This invention relates to a bait feeder device for use in angling or fishing.

In fishing, it has been a long established method to introduce bait or feed to an extended area in order to attract fish to the vicinity of a hooked line. For this purpose various so-called swimfeeders are available which comprise a weighted receptacle to which a lump of ground bait can be attached or within which dispersable bait is loaded. If the bait is an attached lump, fish are attracted to the lump, and hopefully will also bite at bait on a nearby hooked line. Swimfeeders that contain dispersable bait are provided with openings to allow egress of the bait which spreads over an area that will also contain a baited hooked line.

It has been found that fish have become wary of dispersed bait. They are still attracted to lumps of bait, but ignore the nearby baited hooked line as it resembles dispersed bait.

The present invention is directed towards providing a swimfeeder that takes advantage of the continuing attraction of fish to a lump of bait by facilitating the location of a hooked line at or within the lump of bait.

Accordingly the present invention is directed to a bait feeder device for use in angling or fishing, which is generally elongate in an intended horizontal direction, which has at least one weight locator on an intended base of the swimfeeder, which base is itself elongate in the said intended horizontal direction, the device also having at least one hook-line locator on an intended upper side of the swimfeeder.

Preferred features are set out in the sub-claims 2 to 7.

Examples of a swimfeeder made in accordance with the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a schematic side view of such an example; Figure 2 is a schematic view from above of the example shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a schematic view from above of a second such example; Figure 4 is a schematic view from above of a further such example; Figure 5 is a perspective view from above and to one side of a preferred such example; Figures 6a and 6b are respective views of the opposite ends of the example shown in Figure 5; and Figures 7, 8 and 9 show, respectively, a side view, an underneath view and a view from above of the example shown in Figure 5.

Referring to Figure 1, an elongate swimfeeder comprises a base 1 to which a weight 2 is attached. The base 1 is also elongate in the same intended horizontal direction as that in which the swimfeeder as a whole is elongate. The weight 2 may be lead, an alloy or any other suitable weight. At one end 3 of the swimfeeder the base 1 tapers and terminates in an eyelet 4 to which a swivel link 5 is connected. When in use the swivel link may be connected to the reel line.

An arcuate arm 6 extends upwardly from the end 3 of the base and extends longitudinally of the swimfeeder, rejoining the base at its other end 7.

The arcuate arm 6 is provided with at least one eyelet, and preferably several eyelets are located on the arm, as indicated by references 9 and 10. The eyelets may be fixed or slidable along the arm. In use, a hook-line is threaded through the eyelets and the hook then attached to the line. Provision of several eyelets allows the hook position to be varied by threading the line through all or just one or some of the eyelets. Also, the position where the line leaves the swimfeeder can also be varied. With this arrangement the hooked line becomes part of, or closely associated with, the lump of ground bait to which the fish are attracted.

When fish peck at the bait, the swimfeeder tends to be nudged. It is important that the feeder should remain erect in order to keep the hook presented at its chosen location. Usually this will be the upper surface of the swimfeeder. This is partly achieved by the location of the weight in the base of the feeder, which gives a selfrighting moment, but is also assisted by a roll bar 11 which prevents the swimfeeder from adopting a metastable position, for example on its side, which would leave the hook unfavourably presented. An alternative to the roll bar 11 is shown in Figure 3 in which four feet 12 are attached to the base to resist rolling.

Various modifications to the structure shown are envisaged, for example more than one arcuate arm may be provided or the line may be attached to the swimfeeder at a different location. The arcuate arm may not necessarily extend the complete length of the base and may have only one fixed end.

In one preferred embodiment the base, an arcuate arm, a swivel eyelet and hook-line eyelets are formed integrally from injection moulded plastics. A slot or pocket may be provided in the base for locating the weight if the base is solid. More preferably the base is formed as a framework, a particularly preferred shape being a peardrop shape defined by a pair of lateral base arms 15, 16 as shown in Figure 4. This peardrop shape, of itself, provides some roll resistance but the swimfeeder may also incorporate a roll bar 11 or feet 12.

The base framework may also include one or more internal arms, such as cross-arms 17, 18. Conveniently the weight may be wound around or clipped to one of the crossarms, preferably to the lateral cross-arm 17. This shape of swimfeeder is particularly favoured for its balance in casting.

The size and proportions of the swimfeeder may be varied according to the fish that are being sought. For coarse fishing a particularly preferred size is for the peardrop shape to have a length in the range of 40 to 70 mm, more preferably 50 to 60 mm. The eyelet 4 may add additional length. A preferred lateral maximum dimension is in the range of 20 to 35 mm, most preferably 25 to 30 mm.

When the swimfeeder is cast into water, the ground bait, which initially may be in the form of a ball surrounding the swimfeeder, collapses into a flat domed shape around the swimfeeder. It is important that the arcuate arm 6, or other hook-line locating means, should be within the dome of ground bait, not exposed. For this purpose a maximum height of 11 mm, more preferably 10 mm, is preferred for a base of dimensions 55 x 25 mm. Scaling up or down for different base sizes may be desirable in some instances.

An alternative to providing eyelets on the curved arm is for it to be formed with tubular sections through which the hook-line can be threaded, or for the arm to be or include a continuous tubular section with openings through which the line can be threaded prior to attachment of the hook. A threading device such as a needle may be useful to aid this purpose. It may also be possible to utilise a tube of puncturable material so that the hook-line may be placed anywhere along the arm by forming the hole with the threading device.

A further modification may provide hook-line locations such as eyelets or tube portions attached to different parts of the swimfeeder, for example to the base. For example a tubular section or eyelet on an arm may extend upwardly from the base.

In the preferred embodiment of the present invention illustrated in Figures 5 to 9, the swimfeeder comprises a frame 100 having a generally square-sectioned elongate portion 110 extending around the periphery of an imaginary oval to define a generally elongate base 120 so that the ends 130, 140 of the base taper in their transverse extent.

As will be evident from the preceding description, it is intended that the base should adopt a generally horizontal orientation when the swimfeeder is in use. Two transverse square-sectioned bridging portions 150, 160 are spaced apart from one another and extends across the base 120 on opposite sides of the centre thereof. Each has a recess 170, 180 formed in that one of its faces which is directed towards the nearer end of the base. These recesses facilitate the attachment of and locate a weight (not shown in Figures 5 to 9) to the underside of the base 120 of the swimfeeder. Four generally square-sectioned arcuate arms 190, 200, 210 and 220 extend upwardly from the base 120 each with its ends on and integral with respective opposite sides of the base 120. Those ends of each of the arcuate arms are thicker in the elongate direction of one swimfeeder than the tops of those arms.Upwardly protruding portions 230, 240, 250 and 260 extend from the tops of the arcuate arms respectively, each such protruding portion being formed with the eyelet 265 through which a hook-line can be threaded and thereby located. The arms 190, 200, 210 and 220 are spaced apart along the base 120, and the tops of the two outermost arms are lower than those of the other two.

A further projecting portion 270 extends outwardly from the end 140 of the base 120 in the direction of the longitudinal extent thereof, and is formed with an eyelet 290.

The swimfeeder illustrated in Figures 5 to 9 is made from one single plastics injection-moulded part. The manner of use will be evident from the description of the embodiments illustrated in Figures 1 to 4.

Whilst four arcuate arms are shown in Figures 5 to 9, there should be at least one or two. Whereas both ends of the base 120 are tapered, at least one end should be.

Claims (8)

Claims:

1. A bait feeder device for use in angling or fishing, which is generally elongate in an intended horizontal direction, which has at least one weight locator on an intended base of the swimfeeder, which base is itself elongate in the said intended horizontal direction, the device also having at least one hook-line locator on an intended upper side of the swimfeeder.

2. A device according to claim 1, in which the said at least one hook-line locator comprises an eyelet.

3. A device according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which at least one arcuate arm extends above the base and is provided with the said at least one hook-line locator.

4. A device according to claim 3, in which the said at least one arcuate arm extends transversely of the base.

5. A device according to claim 3 or claim 4, further comprising at least one further arcuate arm which extends above the base and is provided with a further hook-line locator.

6. A device according to claim 5, in which one of the arm is closer to an end of the swimfeeder than the other, and also does not extend to such a height above the base than the other.

7. A device according to any preceding claim, in which the base tapers in its transverse extent at least one of its ends.

8. A bait feeder device for use in angling or fishing, substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in any of the Figures of the accompanying drawings.