Fishing rod holder

Apparatus for holding a fishing rod having a fishing line carrying a fishhook, said apparatus comprising:

• a support;
• a pivot arm having front and back ends, said arm being mounted on said support for pivotal movement about a substantially horizontal pivot axis between a fishing position and a hook setting position;
• rod holding means on said arm for receiving and holding the fishing rod with the rod and line extending beyond said front end;
• spring means for urging said arm about said pivot axis in a direction toward the hook setting position;
• a bolt mounted on said pivot arm for axial rotation at a location offset from said pivot axis;
• a trip lever mounted on said support for pivotal movement between an engaged position wherein said lever engages said bolt in a manner to maintain the pivot arm in the fishing position, and a release position wherein the lever is displaced from the bolt to release said arm for movement to the hook setting position under the influence of said spring means;
• a trigger element connected rigidly with said bolt in extension therefrom for receiving the fishing line to effect rotation of said bolt when the trigger element is pulled by a pulling force applied to the fishing line;
• and
• a radial projection on said bolt located to engage said trip lever in a manner to displace same from engaged position to the release position when the bolt has been rotated axially through a predetermined arc sufficient to carry said projection against the trip lever.