GB2307837A - Fishing lure - Google Patents

Abstract

A fishing lure comprises a body formed to represent a fish, the body containing an electric motor 14 adapted to drive a propeller 10 mounted on an output shaft of the motor and located at one end of the body and externally thereof, the body having attached thereto or formed integrally therewith a fin (16),(Fig.1) which, when the lure is tethered to a line and placed in water, and when the electric motor is actuated, acts in conjunction with said propeller to cause said lure to describe a circular motion. The body is generally cigar-shaped and is decorated or marked so as to simulate a fish.

Description

FISHING LURES This invention relates to fishing lures, particularly but not exclusively to such lures used in pike fishing.

In order to catch a pike, it is recommended to use live bait, but this is not always available. In many instances live bait is constituted by other fish in the water, such as for example roach and perch.

Thus when fishing is to commence, the seemingly most appropriate pitch is selected. It may well be that such a pitch is an opening between reeds and is a deep slow swim - which is a deep patch of river with slow current - and this is ideal for roach and perch. It is also, however, an ideal location for pike which wait in ambush for other fish such as roach and perch as well as other fish.

Initially the fisherman will try and catch some roach or perch - to use as live bait - using light tackle. A roach or perch may be hooked, but on reeling it in a pike may snatch it and break the fishing line, due to the fact that a line with a breaking strain of only two pounds is being used.

At this stage, the fisherman will move onto using heavier tackle and decide on the course of action to be taken to land the pike. There are three methods of doing this.

The first method is to use dead bait, which is a good method, particularly for catching larger pike, but this method can involve long periods of waiting due to the nonmovement of dead bait which attract pike.

A second method involves the use of spinners and plugs (lures), and whilst this has proved to be a successful method, it involves repetitive casting and retrieving which may cause loss of the lure due to over-casting or for other reasons, and such losses are expensive.

The third method of catching pike, and by far the best method, involves the use of live bait, provided the live bait is used with a triple hook and a pike float with a wire trace. This method usually brings about immediate results, but if there is no live bait available, bearing in mind that the pike will have already caught the roach or perch - or at least frightened them away from the stretch of river being fished - then it is necessary to use substitute 'live' bait, and it is with this aspect of fishing that the invention is concerned. The substitute 'live' bait takes the form of a lure which is movable under power and which pike will treat as live bait.

According to the present invention there is provided a fishing lure comprising a body formed to represent a fish, said body containing an electric motor adapted to drive a propeller mounted on an output shaft of said motor and located at one end of said body and externally thereof, said body having attached thereto or formed integrally therewith a fin which, when the lure is tethered to a line and placed in water, and when the electric motor is actuated, acts in conjunction with said propeller to cause said lure to describe a circular motion.

Preferably, said body will be generally cigar-shaped and will preferably be composed of plastics material, the outside surface of said body being decorated or marked such that the body simulates a fish.

Said body will preferably be formed in two halves which are removably secured together, said body housing the electric motor and an electrical power source in the form of a battery.

The electric motor will have an output shaft which projects outwardly through one end of the body, the propeller being mounted on said output shaft and in close proximity to said fin.

The fin will preferably be composed of flexible or pliable material and will be carried by said body, the disposition of the fin relative to the body and to the propeller being variable.

The body will preferably carry a swivel to which a wire trace may be connected, and the body will also preferably carry a triple hook.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood, an embodiment thereof will now be described, by way of example, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a side view of a fishing lure in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 shows the two part form of the body of the lure of Figure 1; and Figure 3 is an exploded view showing the component parts of the lure of Figures 1 and 2.

Referring to the drawings, a fishing lure indicated generally by reference numeral 2 comprises a body 4 decorated or marked to simulate a fish, the body being generally cigar-shaped, and carrying on its upper surface a swivel 6 and on its lower surface a triple hook 8. At the rear of the body 4 is a propeller 10 mounted on an out -put shaft 12 of an electric motor 14, and mounted on the body 4 in close proximity to the propeller 10 is a fin 16.

The body 4 is made of plastics material and will preferably be formed by injection moulding.

Referring now to Figure 2, it will be seen that the body 4 is formed in two parts 4A and 6A, the part 4A having a male screw-threaded portion 4B and the part 6A having a female screw-threaded portion 6B.

Locatable in the part 4A is a battery 18, a connector rod 20 and a coil spring 22 in order to bias the battery 18 towards the part 6A. Locatable in the part 6A is the electric motor 14 which is sealed against ingress of water and insulated by a rubber insulator 24 against which abuts a brass washer connector 26 which abuts the end 20A of the connector rod 20 when the two parts 4A and 6A of the body are secured together. A stud connector 28 is located to the inboard end of the drive shaft 12 of the electric motor 14.

The drive shaft 12 of the electric motor 14 is located within a shaft sleeve 30, the outboard end of the shaft projecting outwardly from the body part 6A and having mounted thereon the propeller 10.

The fin 16, made of flexible or pliable plastics or other material, is fixedly secured to the body part 6A but such that the free end thereof may be moved relative to the body part 6A, the purpose of which will be hereinafter explained.

The propeller 10 is caused to rotate upon actuation of the electric motor by screwing together the two parts 4A and 6A of the body such that the battery terminal 18A makes contact with the stud connector 28. Rotation of the output shaft 12 of the electric motor 14, and hence the propeller 10, is stopped by slightly unscrewing the threaded portions 4B and 6B so as to break the electrical contact.

In use, with the lure of the invention attached through the intermediary of a wire trace (not shown) secured to the swivel 6 and a suitable float, to a fishing line (not shown), the propeller 10 is set in motion by tightening the body parts 4A and 6A and the assembly is cast into the water. Depending upon the length of the wire trace, the lure 2 will descend to a predetermined depth - which will probably be in the range 2ft to 6ft depending upon the depth of the water and the user's wishes - and will describe a circular motion due to the presence of the fin 16 acting in conjunction with the propeller 10.

Thus to all intents and purposes, and certainly so far as a pike is concerned, the lure will represent 'live' bait which will act to attract the pike towards the hook.

In the normal disposition of the fin 16 relative to the propeller 10, the lure will describe a circular motion of approximately 2ft diameter. If it is desired to increase the diameter of the circular motion, the end of the fin 16 is moved into closer proximity with the propeller 10, whereas if a smaller diameter of motion is required, then the fin 16 is moved away from the propeller 10.

Thus the invention provides an effective alternative to 'live' bait fishing, the lure 2 giving the effect of a moving fish which is very attractive to pike.

It will be appreciated that the body 4 of the lure may be formed of material other than plastics material, such as for example aluminium or alloy, the criterion being that the complete lure including all the component parts should have a weight of approximately 3.0 ounces and more preferably 2.5 ounces.

Finally, it will be appreciated that the lure according to the invention may be used in other forms of fishing such as deep sea fishing and in other fishing situations, and that because of the circular movement of the lure, recasting or frequent re-casting is unnecessary.

Claims (10)

CLAIMS:

1. A fishing lure comprising a body formed to represent a fish, said body containing an electric motor adapted to drive a propellor mounted on an output shaft of said motor and located at one end of said body and externally thereof, said body having attached thereto or formed integrally therewith a fin which, when the lure is tethered to a line and placed in water, and when the electric motor is actuated, acts in conjunction with said propeller to cause said lure to describe a circular motion.

2. A fishing lure in accordance with Claim 1, wherein said body is generally cigar-shaped.

3. A fishing lure in accordance with Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the outside surface of said body is decorated or marked such that the body simulates a fish.

4. A fishing lure in accordance with any of Claims 1 to 3, wherein said body is formed in two halves which are removably secured together, said body housing the electric motor and an electrical power source in the form of a battery.

5. A fishing lure in accordance with any of the preceding Claims, wherein said electric motor has an output shaft which projects outwardly through one end of the body, said propeller being mounted on said output shaft and in close proximity to said fin.

6. A fishing lure in accordance with any of Claims 1 to 5, wherein said fin is composed of a flexible or pliable material and is carried by said body, the disposition of said fin relative to said body and said propeller being variable.

7. A fishing lure in accordance with any of the preceding Claims, wherein said body carries a swivel to which a wire trace may be connected.

8. A fishing lure in accordance with any of the preceding Claims, wherein said body carries a triple hook.

9. A fishing lure in accordance with any of Claims 1 to 8, wherein said body is composed of plastics material.

10. A fishing lure substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.