Fishing net support system

A fishing net holding system comprising:

• a boat hull having an upper edge defining a gunwale;
• a fishing net including a pole and a loop attached to one end of the pole, a receiving net being attached to and extending along the loop, a grip being attached to the pole opposite of the loop;
• a boat mount mounted onto the gunwale;
• a linkage being attached to the boat mount;
• and
• a receiver mounted on the linkage, the pole being releasably positioned within the receiver such that the loop is positioned outside of an arca bounded by the boat hull, the linkage allowing pivoting between the boat mount and the receiver within a single, vertically orientated plane to allow the loop to be moved upwardly and downwardly relative to the boat hull;
• the linkage being actuated to a disengaged position allowing pivoting of the fishing net relative to the boat hull and an engaged position inhibiting pivoting of the fishing net relative to the boat hull, actuation of the linkage from the engaged position to the disengaged position being effected by movement of the grip in a first direction relative to a vertical support of the linkage, actuation of the linkage from the disengaged position to the engaged position being effected by movement of the grip in a second direction relative to the vertical support of the linkage, said first direction and said second direction being along a linear path and in opposite directions with respect to each other;
• wherein the linkage includes:
• the vertical support being attached to and extending upwardly from the boat mount;
• a lateral support being pivotally attached to the vertical support and extending away from the vertical support, the lateral support being pivotable in the single, vertically oriented plane;
• and
• a locking member releasably locking the lateral support to the vertical support to resist pivoting between the lateral support and the vertical support, the locking member being positionable in a released position allowing pivoting between the lateral and vertical supports such that an outer area of the lateral support positioned distal to the vertical support is vertically movable relative to the boat mount, the receiver being positioned on the outer area;
• the lateral support having a first end and a second end positioned opposite of each is other, the first end having a channel extending therethrough to define a pair of arms positioned laterally of the channel, the vertical support being positioned in the channel and between the arms;
• a pivot pin extending through the arms and the vertical support to pivotally couple the lateral support to the vertical support;
• wherein each of the arms has a slot therein through which the pivot pin extends, the slots in the arms each being elongated along a line extending through the first and second ends such that the second end is movable away from the vertical support in the first direction or toward the vertical support in the second direction, the lateral support being pivotable when the second end is moved away from the vertical support and being locked in a static condition relative to the vertical when the second end is moved toward the vertical support;
• and
• wherein the locking member includes:
• a bracket being positioned in the channel, the bracket including a base and a pair of legs, the base being positioned distal to the first end and each of the legs extending along one of the arms, each of the legs having an opening extending therethrough, the pivot pin extending through the openings in the legs to pivotally couple the bracket to the vertical support, the slots being elongated with respect to the openings such that the bracket is statically retained relative to the vertical support when the first end is moved away from the vertical support;
• a locking pin extending through apertures positioned in each of the legs and each of the arms, the pivot pin being positioned between the locking pin and the first end of the lateral support, the apertures in the legs being elongated with respect to the apertures in the arms, the apertures in the legs being elongated in a same direction of elongation as the slots such that the locking pin is movable relative to the bracket when the lateral support is moved away from the vertical support;
• the vertical support having a plurality of grooves positioned therein and each being elongated along a line orientated perpendicular to an axis of the pivot pin, the locking pin being removably positionable in each of the grooves to alter an angle of the receiver relative to a horizontal plane;
• and
• a biasing member biasing the locking pin into one of the grooves.