Fishing rig

Abstract

A fishing rig that reduces the likelihood of snags on submerged objects. The fishing rig includes a flexible rod and a retainer secured to the top of the rod. The retainer has a ring for fastening a fishing line to the rig. A float is secured to the rod adjacent the retainer. A sinker is secured to the bottom of the rod. A spreader is secured to the rod between the retainer and the float. The spreader has a pair of outstretched arms, each of which has an outer end with an aperture therein. Two flexible leaders have inside ends that are connected to the ring and have outside ends extending respectively through the apertures. A fishhook is fastened to the outside end of each one of the flexible leaders.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention relates generally to fishing and, more particularly, to line-attached bodies, hooks, and rigs.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Most game fish spend a significant portion of their lives feeding near the bottom of a body of water that serves as their home. Successful fisherman put their bait near the bottom since the likelihood of catching fish is greatly increased. Unfortunately, most game fish shy away from open, sandy bottoms that are easily fished by man and other predators. Game fish rather feed in rocky or obstructed areas that afford numerous hiding places from which to spring upon prey. Thus, catching large numbers of fish without losing too much tackle on submerged snags requires a great deal of skill.[0003]In addition to losing tackle, fishermen loose time dealing with snags. Most will try to free their lures without breaking their fishing line. The effort made is usually proportional to the value of the lure at risk of loss,...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0005]In light of the problems associated with the known devices for suspending fish bait near the rocky and obstructed bottoms of some water bodies, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a fishing rig of uncomplicated construction and reasonable cost that will suspend a pair of baited fishhooks above a rocky water bottom thereby effectively preventing snags.

[0006]It is another object of the invention to provide a fishing rig of the type described that features a fin-like spreader at its top from each of the opposite ends of which a fishhook is suspended. The spreader is symmetrical so that, when the fishing rig is deployed in a body of water wherein a current flows, the fin will automatically turn to face the current thereby maintaining the maximum distance between the fishhooks for the greatest exposure to game fish that tend to feed while headed upstream.

[0008]It is an object of the invention to provide improved features and arrangements thereof in a fishing rig for the purposes described that is lightweight in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, and dependable in use.

Problems solved by technology

Unfortunately, most game fish shy away from open, sandy bottoms that are easily fished by man and other predators.

Thus, catching large numbers of fish without losing too much tackle on submerged snags requires a great deal of skill.

In addition to losing tackle, fishermen loose time dealing with snags.

The effort made is usually proportional to the value of the lure at risk of loss, with expensive lures meriting considerable expenditures of time and manpower.

Of course, losing a lure means that a fisherman must dig into his tackle box and make a time-consuming replacement.

These rigs have included complex arrangements of fishhooks, floats, and sinkers, some of which are detachable when placed under great strain as when snagged.

Because of their cumbersome nature and cost, these rigs have not seen widespread acceptance by fishermen.

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