Safety lure

A fishing lure including in combination:

• a main body portion having a front end and a rear end, with a groove therein for protecting the point of a hook;
• the main body portion being at least partially hollow with a water channel extending through it from an opening in the front end to the rear end thereof;
• a hook, having a point, movably mounted in the main body portion for movement from a storage position with the point thereof in the groove to an active position with the point thereof extended beyond the main body portion out of the groove;
• an elongated cylinder movably mounted in the water channel for reciprocating movement therein, wherein the hook is attached to the elongated cylinder at the rear end of the main body portion such that, in the storage position, the hook is pulled into engagement with the groove in the main body portion, and in the active position, the cylinder to which the hook is attached moves toward the rear of the main body portion in response to the force of water acting on the cylinder to extend the hook beyond the rear of the main body portion and out of the groove as the lure moves through water;
• a holding mechanism in the main body portion for releasably holding the hook in the storage position;
• and
• a release mechanism coupled with the holding mechanism and located for contact with water as the lure is drawn through water for disengaging the holding mechanism in response to the force of water on the release mechanism as the main body portion moves through water.