Trolling Assembly Shield Mechanism for Debris Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Trolling methods face inefficiencies due to entanglement of fishing lines with water-borne debris and turbulence caused by boat wakes, which reduces fishing time and success rates, especially when targeting high-speed game fish like wahoo.
Innovation Solution
A trolling assembly with adjustable positioning assemblies and a shield mechanism that retains the fishing line below the water surface, protecting it from debris and allowing high-speed trolling without heavy weights, using standard monofilament line.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If fishing line is deployed near the surface during trolling, then lure can be presented effectively to game fish, but water-borne debris becomes entangled with the fishing line
Solution Approach 1:
A shield assembly acts as an intermediary barrier between the fishing line and water-borne debris. The shield includes a shield member with a leading edge that contacts debris and a shield channel that guides the fishing line, preventing direct contact between the line and debris while allowing the line to pass through safely during high-speed trolling operations
2Speed
If boat speed is increased for high-speed trolling, then lure presentation improves for game fish, but wake turbulence increases causing erratic lure movement
Solution Approach 1:
The shield assembly extracts the fishing line from the turbulent wake zone by positioning it alongside the boat where water flow is smoother. The shield member extends laterally from the boat, creating a protected corridor that removes the line and lure from the chaotic wake turbulence, enabling stable lure presentation at high speeds
3Speed
If heavy weights are used to maintain line depth during high-speed trolling, then line control improves, but device complexity and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The shield assembly replaces the traditional mechanical weight-based depth control system with a hydrodynamic solution. The shield member's orientation and positioning in the water flow create natural hydrodynamic forces that maintain line depth and control without requiring heavy weights or complex mechanical depth control mechanisms
Data Source
AI summary
A trolling assembly structured to protect at least a portion of a fishing line from water-borne debris while trolling in a body of water from a boat includes a first positioning assembly attached to the boat and being adjustable to facilitate positioning the portion of the fishing line in a first predetermined spaced relation to the boat, and a second positioning assembly interconnected to the first positioning assembly and being positionable to facilitate positioning the portion of the fishing line in a second predetermined spaced relation to the boat. The trolling assembly also includes a shield assembly, interconnected to the second positioning assembly, which is structured to releasably retain the portion of the fishing line below a surface of the body of water while trolling, and to protect at least the portion of the fishing line from water-borne debris while trolling.