WO2005077163A1

WO2005077163A1 - Fishing lure

Info

Publication number: WO2005077163A1
Application number: PCT/AU2005/000210
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ron Laczko
Original assignee: Ronwon Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2004-02-18
Filing date: 2005-02-18
Publication date: 2005-08-25

Abstract

A fishing lure (1) comprising a housing (2), said housing (2) including a cavity (3) for containing a bait (4), at least one permeable wall, a closable access through which said bait (4) can be inserted into the housing (2) and an attachment means (7) for attaching a fishing line (6) and at least one hook (10) attached to the housing (2) wherein the at least one permeable wall allows dissipation of fish attractant from the bait (4) into a surrounding medium.

Description

FISHING LURE

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to fishing and in particular to a fishing lure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention has been developed primarily for bait fishing and will be described hereinafter with reference to this application. However, it will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to this particular field of use. It is well known in the fishing art to use bait attached to a hook so that when the fish attacks the bait, it is hopefully caught by the hook. In addition, the bait must have sufficient consistency to remain attached to the hook or the line. This can limit the types of bait that can be used. Further baiting a hook involves securing the bait to the hook by threading or looping the bait through the hook. As baits are generally delicate and flimsy for example cockles, pipis and pilchards, baiting the hook requires intricate motor skills. Thus baiting a hook can be difficult for children, old people and other people with reduced motor skills. Still the bait may be dislodged from the hook for instance from the impact of casting the hook into water. Additionally, the hook and bait are usually scaled to the type and size of the target fish. When a larger fish is targeted, smaller fish may steal the bait while avoiding the hook. Since this occurs out of sight underwater, the user must retract the line regularly in order to check the bait. This is an inefficient and tedious process, even if rebaiting is not required. Another method of fishing involves the use of fishing lures, which rely on movement of the lure through the water to attract fish. An advantage of this method is there is no requirement to bait a hook. Whilst these lures can be effective, they are less so when static and do not appeal to the senses of smell or taste of the target fish. Generally the movement of the lure would dislodge any bait attached thereto due to the speed of the lure being dragged through the water and the resultant drag encountered. It is an object of the present invention to overcome or ameliorate one or more of the disadvantages of the prior art, or at least to provide a useful alternative.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, the invention provides a fishing lure comprising a housing, said housing including a cavity for containing a bait, at least one permeable wall, a closable access through which the bait can be inserted into the housing and an attachment means for attaching a fishing line and at least one hook attached to the housing wherein the at least one permeable wall allows dissipation of fish attractant from the bait into a surrounding medium. The bait is placed inside the cavity of the housing through a closable access.

The closable access is closed during fishing to substantially contain the bait within the housing of the lure. The permeability of the at least one wall ensures the fish attractant within the bait is dissipated into the surrounding medium. The lure may be dragged through the water by the fishing line attached to the lure. As the lure is dragged through the water, the fish attractant is dispersed, fish are attracted to the lure and enticed to bite the attached at least one hook and hopefully become ensnared thereupon. Alternatively the baited lure may be used instead of a baited hook to be cast and left in the water to attract fish. A fishing lure is generally known as a device to attract fish as it is dragged by a user through the water. The shape and movement of the lure is supposed to imitate the movement of a fish through the water. The present invention allows the design of lures used in bait-less fishing, with the fish attracted by the movement, shape and colour of the lure rather than a bait to be used in the present invention. Lures may be formed from many materials including metals and plastics. The decorative aspects of the lure adds to the authenticity and fish attracting ability of the device. Thus particular colours, shapes and textures have been found to be more attractive to fish. The size of the target fish also impacts the size of the lure to be used, with the lure corresponding as closely as possible to the food source of the target fish. The lure of the present invention can be used as a baited hook with the contained bait attracting fish to the hook, rather than or in addition to movement. The dissipation of the attractant may attract a fish to the hook in the same manner as a traditionally baited hook. When a user feels a bite on the line and the fish caught, the line and lure may be reeled in. The housing will generally form the body of the lure and will preferably be shaped according to the fish to be targeted. The particular shape of the housing may be the shape of the body of a known fish variety. Other suitable shapes may be used, such as cigar shapes, or squid shapes especially shapes that produce the effect of a swimming fish or jellyfish when being dragged through the water. The cavity is of sufficient dimension to contain a bait or portion thereof. Containing in this context means substantially holding the bait so it is mainly held within the cavity, but portions of the bait in the form of attractants may escape through the wall of the housing. Thus at least one wall must be a permeable wall, allowing a fish attractant to escape therethrough. The fish attractant may be the scent of the bait, a fluid of the bait, such as blood or particulate of the bait, such as crumbs of bread, dependant on the bait used. The at least one permeable wall allows dissipation of fish attractant from the bait into a surrounding medium. Preferably the walls are made of a sheet material perforated with holes. Alternatively the walls are made of spaced apart ribs of material with the slits between each rib allowing egress of the fish attractant into the surrounding medium. The walls may also be formed from a mesh with sufficient gaps in the weave to allow seepage of the bait attractant therethrough. A closable access is provided such that a bait can be inserted into the cavity by opening the access, and the bait may be contained within the cavity by closing the access. The access is generally in the form of a hinged flap covering an aperture in a wall of the housing. Preferably the flap is secured by a latch. Preferably the aperture is large enough to insert bait into the cavity in tact without damaging the bait. Alternatively the housing includes two hinged mating walls adapted for mutual releasable securement to define the cavity. A further embodiment provides the housing formed from two threaded halves that may be screwed together to define the cavity. Preferably the housing includes an attachment means for attaching a fishing line. Preferably the attachment means is a ring or loop to which a swivel containing a line can be attached. Other means could be employed such as using a clamp, to suitably secure the line to the housing. Preferably the attachment means may be integrally formed with the housing. In general, at least one hook may be attached to the housing. The at least one hook ensnares a fish attempting to take the bait. The lure may include more than one hook so that a number of fish may be ensnared on the same lure. Preferably the at least one hook is attached to the housing by the shank of the hook. Preferably the shank of the hook is attached to a ring on the housing for example using a swivel to attach the hook to the ring. Preferably the housing includes a compartment for containing floats or weights therein to assist the lure in floating or sinking to a desired level in the water. Preferably the appearance of the lure will depend upon the species of fish being targeted. Commonly, the appearance of the lure will resemble that of the preferred prey of the target fish. Specific colours such as fluorescents may be desirable to attract target fish. Generally, the size of the lure will correspond with the size of fish desired with larger target fish requiring larger lures. Preferably the lures will be molded from suitable plastic material or cast from a suitable metal or other material to withstand the corrosive marine environment. It may be desirable to use biodegradable materials in the event that abandoned equipment does not cause harm to the marine environment. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a fishing lure according to the invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of a fishing lure with the chamber sections split to allow access to the chamber; Figure 3 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the invention; and Figure 4 is a perspective view of yet another alternative embodiment of the invention. PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Referring to the drawings, the invention provides a fishing lure 1 including a body 2 having a housing with a cavity 3 adapted in a closed configuration to substantially contain a bait 4. The cavity 3 is defined by at least one wall of a housing being permeable. In one embodiment the wall has a plurality of perforations 5. The perforations 5 are dimensioned so as to allow dissipation of an attractant from the bait into the surrounding water whilst substantially retaining the bait 4 within the cavity 3. In this embodiment, the perforations 5 are sized to also allow small particulate material to exit the chamber. In other embodiments, the perforations may take the form of a fine mesh or filter. In a further embodiment, not shown, the walls may be formed as spaced apart ribs with slits between adjacent ribs, said ribs forming the cavity for containing the bait. The lure 1 is adapted to be secured to a fishing line 6 by a ring or hole 7. In practice a swivel 8 will generally be attached to the line and in turn attached to the ring or hole 7 on the lure. A further hole 9 is provided at the opposite end of the housing for attaching a fish hook 10. In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, three such holes are provided. In alternative embodiments, the hook or hooks 10 are not attached directly to the lure 1 but rather located in close proximity so that a fish striking at the lure is likely to be snared on the hook. In other embodiments, a hook or hooks may be fixedly attached to or integral with the lure. In the illustrated embodiment in Figures 1 and 2, the lure body 2 is formed in two mating walls 11. These walls are hingedly connected along their joining edges by a pin 12. Locking means in the form of a releasable catch 13 is provided on an edge opposite the hinge. The releasable catch 13 is for holding the sections 11 together so as to define the cavity 3. Access to the inside of the cavity 3 is achieved by releasing the catch 13 and parting the walls 11 about the pin 12. As seen in Figure 3, a second embodiment of the invention includes corresponding threads 14 on the housing forming two cavity sections that may be joined and split by threaded connection. In a third embodiment, shown in Figure 4, portions of the walls in the form of a flap 16 may be hinged to provide access inside the chamber flap 16 is locked in a closed condition by catch 17. In other embodiments, the openings in the wall of the chamber may be formed by the incomplete sealing of the chamber walls. In still further embodiments, an internal compartment 18 is provided to secure weights or flotation elements (not shown) to permit selective adjustment of buoyancy of the lure without the need for a separate float or sinker. In the lures of Figures 2 and 4, the compartment 18 is not separate from the bait chamber. However, in alternative embodiments the buoyancy compartment and chamber are distinct. The illustrated lure may be made in any desired colour, size, shape or configuration, with any suitable size or number of hooks, swivels or floats. The exact appearance of the lure will depend upon the species offish being targeted. Commonly, the appearance of the lure will resemble that of the preferred prey of the target fish. Specific colours such as fluorescents may be desirable to attract target fish. The size of the lure will correspond with the size of fish desired with larger target fish requiring larger lures. The lures may be molded from suitable plastics or cast from a suitable metal to withstand the corrosive marine environment. Other suitable materials and methods of manufacture may be employed. It may be desirable to use biodegradable materials in the event that lost equipment does not cause harm to the marine environment. In use, the lure is filled with bait and possibly with weights or flotation elements depending on whether the lure is to be used for bait fishing, float or bottom fishing, lure fishing, trawling or spinning. Having the bait secured inside the lure limits direct access so the target fish or other marine creatures cannot easily remove or steal the bait. The permeability of the wall of the housing allows a fish attractant from the bait or the equivalent of a burly trail to emanate directly from the lure. In addition, it will be appreciated that the device allows the use of baits which may not possess the requisite consistency for attachment directly to a hook. The hooks are attached adjacent or behind the cavity to benefit from the fish attractant of the bait dissipating therefrom. Whilst the above has been given by way of illustrative example of the invention, many modifications and variations may be made thereto by persons skilled in the art without departing from the broad scope and ambit of the invention as herein set forth. The term "comprise", or variations of the term such as "comprises" or "comprising", are used herein to denote the inclusion of a stated integer or stated integers but not to exclude any other integer or any other integers, unless in the context or usage an exclusive inteφretation of the term is required.

Claims

THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS:

1. A fishing lure comprising a housing, said housing including a cavity for containing a bait, at least one permeable wall, a closable access through which the bait can be inserted into the housing and an attachment means for attaching a fishing line and at least one hook attached to the housing wherein the at least one permeable wall allows dissipation of fish attractant from the bait into a surrounding medium.

2. A fishing lure according to claim 1 wherein the at least one permeable wall is made of a sheet material perforated with holes.

3. A fishing lure according to claim 1 wherein the at least one permeable wall is made of spaced apart ribs of material with the slits between each rib allowing egress of the fish attractant into the surrounding medium.

4. A fishing lure according to claim 1 wherein the at least one permeable wall is formed from a mesh with sufficient gaps in the weave to allow seepage of the bait attractant therethrough.

5. A fishing lure according to any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the closable access is in the form of a hinged flap covering an aperture in a wall of the housing.

6. A fishing lure according to claim 5 wherein the flap is secured by a latch.

7. A fishing lure according to any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the closable access is provided by two hinged mating walls adapted for mutual releasable securement to define the cavity.

8. A fishing lure according to any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the closable access is provided by forming the housing from two threaded halves that may be screwed together to define the cavity.