Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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BARBLESS FISHHOOK
Background Art:
This invention relates to barbless fishhooks
and, more particularly, provides an environmentally
acceptable, springless, barbless fishhook. More
particularly, it provides a reversible, springless,
barbless fishhook made of two bent wires and a
leader which does not tear the mouth of a fish
after the hook is withdrawn, either deliberately by
the fisherman or accidentally by the fish.
Fishing is one of the world's most enjoyable
sports. Years of research, development, and design
have gone into providing the fisherman with equip-
ment for effectively catching his or her prey.
Notwithstanding these endeavors, fishhooks in
common use today differ only insignificantly from
those used decades ago. The fishhook is generally
a length of wire bent into a crook or hook portion,
provided at one end with a sharp point and a sharp
barb and at the opposite end with a leader-receiv-
ing eye.
Environmentalists have long protested that the
conventional barbed fishhook causes debilitating
and often fatal injury to the fish in the event
that the fish is able to tear loose of the hook or
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if the fisherman cuts the fish loose intending to
return it to the water. Alternative remedies have
been suggested, but without success. On the one
hand, barbless fishhooks have been proposed, but
these tend to be complicated (e.g., Jacobs U. S.
1,217,768; Dawson U. S. 2,810,230; Richardson U. S.
2,632,275).
More secure fishhooks which rely on spring-
loaded traps are presently illegal (e.g., Neal U.
S. 3,803,748). Also, providing more secure fish-
hooks, which reduce the chance of a fish tearing
loose, does not solve the problem of a fisherman's
voluntarily disengaging a fish for return to the
water (e.g., Lehmann U. S. 503,864, DeForest U. S.
264,256).
Accordingly, an object of the invention is to
provide an environmentally acceptable, springless,
barbless fishhook. A further object is to provide
a reversible fishhook that can be used for trolling,
spinning, casting, and in conjunction with plug
fishing. Other and further objects and advantages
of the invention will become apparent as the des-
cription proceeds.
The Invention:
Briefly, in accordance with the invention, an
environmentally acceptable, reversible, springless
and barbless fishhook is provided which is composed
of a pair of generally similar wire hook halves,
pivoted together, with a leader connecting adjacent
ends of the hooks so that tension applied to the
hook by a biting fish urges the hook halves either
together or apart, depending upon the initial set-
ting of the hook.
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In more detail, each hook half is formed of asingle length of wire bent into shape. The wire
comprises a generally straight center shank portion,
a barbless crook or hook portion at one end of the
straight shank portion, a pivot coil or loop at the
opposite end of the shank portion, and an offset
upper portion extending from the loop and termin-
ating in a leader-receiving eye. A pivot pin joins
the hook halves together at the coil or loop, there-
by permitting tong-like movement of the hook halves
with respect to each other. A leader extends through
both of the eyes, and is tied to form a fixed bight.
Thus, as a fish applies tension to the hook, the
hook halves move either inwardly or outwardly,
depending on the initial setting of the hook, to
either close or open, respectively, the halves and
thereby secure the fish.
Should the fish throw the hook, or should the
fisherman wish to disengage the hook and return the
fish to the water, there are no barbs which would
otherwise tear the fish's mouth, gills, or other
body parts.
Brief Description of the Draw ngs:
The invention will be more fully described in
conjunction with the appended drawings wherein:
Figure 1 is a side view of the reversible
springless and barbless fishhook in the plug posi-
tion, most useful when fishing in weeded areas;
Figure 2 is a side view of the hook shown inFigure 1; and
Figure 3 is a single hook half.
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Best Mode '~or Ca'rry-ing Out''The''Invention:
As shown in Figure 1, the fishhook of the invention 11
comprises two generally similar wire hook halves 12 (Figure 3),
each half formed of a single length of wire. The halves are
joined at a pivot 14 and terminate in a pair of leader-receiving
- eyes 15. A leader 16 extends through both of the eyes lS so
that when tension is applied to the hook 11 by a fish attempting
to remove bait (not shown) affixed to the hook, the leader 16
urges the eyes 15 together, thereby (in the configuration of
~igure 1) spreading the hook portions 12 apart and expanding
the hook in the mouth of the fish.
Each hook half 12 is, as shown in Figure 3, composed
of a generally straight center shank portion 18, with a single
coil or loop 19 at the'top end and a barbless crook or hook
portion 20 at the' opposite end. The hook portion 20 terminates
in a sharp point 21, and as noted previously, there is no barb
assoclated with the point 21 to tear the mouth of a fish.
' Adjacent the coil or loop 19 and extending approximate-
ly in the same 'plane as the hook portion 20 is an offset upper
portion 22, which is a continuation of the coil or loop 19. The
offset upper portion 22 terminates in a leader-receiving eye 15,
wh~ch is mereIy one or more coils of wire having or forming a
passageway for a relatively movable leader of fishline, mono-
filament, or the like, attached to the main line. The leader
; 16 is shown in Figure 1 and is simply a knotted loop extending
through'both of the eyes 15.
1163804
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As also shown in Figure 3, the offset upper
portion 22 of the hook half 12 is offset, in approx-
ima~ely the plane of the hook portion 20 and toward
the hook portion 20, by an angle "a" that is quite
important to the successful functioning of the
fishhook of the invention. For best results, this
angle "a" should be approximately 45 degrees, give
or take about 15 degrees. with such an angle,
tension applied to the hook by a biting fish will
urge the hook halves 12 (Figure 1) outward, into a
secure engagement with opposed portions of a fish's
mouth, making inadvertant removal impossible, or
virtually so, but making deliberate removal by a
fisherman quite easy simply by expanding the upper
portions 22, and pressing the hook 11 toward the
fish.
As shown best in Figure 2, the pivot 14 which
permits the two hook halves 12 to move in response
to a fish pulling on the hook comprises merely a
single coil or loop 24 of the wire constituting
each hook half 12. Through the opening in these
loops 24 is inserted a pin-like rivet 25, or an
alternative rivet-like nut and bolt, should tension
adjustment be desirable. If required, particularly
in larger size hooks, one or more spring washers
may be inserted between the hook halves 12, and/or
between each hook half 12 and the end of the rivets
25. This facilitates movement of each hook half 12
about the pivot pin or rivets 25.
The hook of the invention may be utilized in
either of two positions. First, as shown in Figure
1, the hook halves 12 are splayed outward, and a
piece of bait (not shown) is affixed to either or
both hooks 20. This position has been found to be
most advantageous when used in plug fishing, as it
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avoids weeds.
Alternatively, the hook may be reversed and
the hook portions 20 can be splayed inwardly, with
bait, again, affixed to either or both hooks. In
this latter case, the hook halves 12 move inwardly
when the fish bites the bait, thereby seizing the
fish by a pincer-like movement, with one point 21
affixing itself to the inside of the fish's mouth
while the opposite point 21 secures the outside of
the lip.
In either position, it is apparent that the
more the fish pulls, the tighter the hook seizes
the fish. If the hook is positioned to move out-
ward, the hook engages opposite portions OL the
fish's mouth. If the hook, on the other hand, is
set to move inward, the points 21 pinch the fish'smouth. In either case, inadvertent removal by the
fish is difficult if not impossible, yet deliberate
removal by the fisherman is facilitated since there
are no barbs to contend with.
Thus it is apparent that the invention satis-
fies the objects set forth above. While the inven-
tion has been described in conjunction with spec-
ific embodiments, it is manifest that various alter-
natives, modifications and variations will be appar-
ent to those skilled in the art in light of the
foregoing description. Accordingly, it is intended
to embrace these within the spirit and scope of the
appended claims.
Moreover, it will be apparent that the hook
may vary in size depending on the likely prey, withsmaller hooks being usable for small fish and larger
ones for game fish. Also, while ordinary spring
wire or coated spring wire will suffice in the
usual case, any metallic wire is satisfactory.
