Bait holding fishing hook assembly

A bait holding assembly comprising in combination, a swivel means having a line connecting end and a tackle connecting end;

• a clip means having a front end and a rearward end, said front end thereof being connected to said swivel means;
• a bait holding clamping means comprising a pair of finger actuated clamping jaws interconnected by a spring biasing the leading edges of said jaws into clamping engagement, the opposite ends of said jaws being spaced for subsequent finger manipulation toward each other against the bias of said spring for spacing said forward ends for inserting or removing the bait;
• at least one of said jaws having an opening in said opposite end thereof receiving the rearward end of said clip means;
• said clamping jaws being of a width to clamp onto a substantial portion of an opened bivalve bait piece for holding and maintaining said bivalve in such opened position, the interior walls of said clamping jaws being concavely curved and including side wall portions which extend generally perpendicular to said curved walls and which are spaced to form a gap when the clamping jaws are closed under the bias of said spring, the concavely curved walls and said sidewall portions defining a generally enclosed area for receiving said bivalve, with substantially the entire clamping force of said jaws being transmitted to the bait through said leading edges, and a plurality of relatively short fishing lines having loop ends attached to said clip means and a hook end each of which has attached thereto a fishing hook which can be embedded in said bivalve bait.