US 2023/0189774 A1Published application

Rapidly adjustable bait protector

AssigneeUnicorn Squad, Inc.

InventorsDaniel CORTAZZO, Evin Gamal PRATHER, Christian HAMILTON

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A protective head for bait fish that enables rapid adjustment of line position and bait shape without restringing the line or replacing hooks. The line runs through a plug that fits into any of several holes in the front of the bait protector. Using different holes changes the spin of the bait. To change holes, the plug is removed from its hole by sliding it along the line, the line is shifted to another hole along slots that connect the holes, and the plug is reinserted into the new hole; no rerigging is needed. Embodiments of the invention may also use a tuning wire that is inserted through the cup face and into the bait, and that can be bent to shape the bait as desired. The bait protector cup depth exceeds that of other protectors, eliminating the need for precise cuts to fit bait into the cup.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A rapidly adjustable bait protector comprising:

a cup configured to receive a front portion of a bait fish, said cup comprising
a front face;
and
a tubular element coupled to said front face at a tubular element front end, and open at a tubular element back end to receive said front portion of said bait fish;
wherein
said front face comprises a plurality of plug holes connected by a plurality of slots;
each plug hole of said plurality of plug holes is connected to each other plug hole of said plurality of plug holes by a path through said plurality of slots and said plurality of plug holes;
a plug configured to be removably inserted into any plug hole of said plurality of plug holes, comprising
a line hole passing through said plug and configured to receive a fishing line inserted through said line hole and passing through said front face to couple said fishing line to one or more hooks;
wherein
said plug is configured to be moved from a first plug hole of said plurality of plug holes to a second plug hole of said plurality of plug holes without uncoupling said fishing line from said one or more hooks and without moving said one or more hooks, by
removing said plug from said first plug hole without removing said fishing line from said line hole, by sliding said plug along said fishing line;
sliding said fishing line along one or more slots of said plurality of slots to said second plug hole;
and,
inserting said plug into said second plug hole by sliding said plug along said fishing line.

12 more elements

A rapidly adjustable bait protector comprising:

a cup configured to receive a front portion of a bait fish, said cup comprising
a front face;
and
a tubular element coupled to said front face at a tubular element front end, and open at a tubular element back end to receive said front portion of said bait fish;
wherein
a distance between said tubular element front end and said tubular element back end comprises at least 20 millimeters;
said front face comprises
a plurality of plug holes connected by a plurality of slots;
a pair of tuning wire holes configured to receive and secure a tuning wire that shapes an orientation of said bait fish;
a pair of bait holder holes configured to receive one or more bait holders to be inserted into said bait fish to hold said bait fish in said tubular element, said pair of bait holder holes comprising
a first bait holder hole located on a top of said tubular element;
and
a second bait holder hole located on a bottom of said tubular element;
a line conduit coupled to an inner surface of said tubular element and configured to receive a fishing line passing through said front face and coupled to one or more hooks, wherein
a back edge of said line conduit comprises a hook stop configured to hold a front hook of said one or more hooks in position;
said front hook comprises an octopus hook;
and
said back edge of said line conduit is angled to match an angle of an eye of said octopus hook;
each plug hole of said plurality of plug holes is connected to each other plug hole of said plurality of plug holes by a path through said plurality of slots and said plurality of plug holes;
a plug configured to be removably inserted into any plug hole of said plurality of plug holes, comprising
a line hole passing through said plug and configured to receive said fishing line inserted through said line hole;
and,
a bait spike comprising
a barb end configured to be inserted into said bait fish;
and
an eye coupled to said barb end and configured to receive said fishing line and to hold a back hook of said one or more hooks near said bait fish without said back hook passing through said bait fish;
wherein
said plug is configured to be moved from a first plug hole of said plurality of plug holes to a second plug hole of said plurality of plug holes without uncoupling said fishing line from said one or more hooks and without moving said one or more hooks, by
removing said plug from said first plug hole without removing said fishing line from said line hole, by sliding said plug along said fishing line;
sliding said fishing line along one or more slots of said plurality of slots to said second plug hole;
and,
inserting said plug into said second plug hole by sliding said plug along said fishing line.

29 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.