Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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METHOD AND MEDIUM FOR COLORING LIVE BAIT WORMS
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a method for coloring live bait worms, a
storage and
coloring medium for coloring live bait worms, and to live bait worms colored
according to the
present invention. More particularly, the invention relates to the
incorporation into a storage
medium for worms an amount of a colorant which, when ingested by the worms in
a non-toxic
quantity, changes their color.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is believed that the ability of a bait to attract fish is at least
partially related to its color.
Accordingly, numerous methods are disclosed in the prior art for coloring live
bait to thereby
enhance its efficacy in attracting fish. Examples of methods and materials for
coloring the
external surface of a live bait, such as a bait fish or a bait worm, are
disclosed in U.S. Patent Nos.
4,486,460 (Kienast et al.), U.S. Patent No. 4,728,514 (Lechnir) and U.S.
Patent No. 4,776,858
(Mayer). These patents describe methods and compositions used for applying a
colorant to an
external surface of the live bait to thereby change its color. One
disadvantage of such methods
and compositions is that they must be applied to the live bait by the
fisherman, and are therefore
inconvenient.
Another method for coloring live bait worms is disclosed by U.S. Patent No.
2,849,981 to
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Rose et al. According to Rose et al., it is possible to produce live worms of
substantially any
desired color by adding any conventional pure edible food coloring to food fed
to the worms
and/or to the beds of earth or other material in which the worms are
cultivated. Preferably,
sixteen parts of the pure edible food coloring are mixed with one part of a
fruit or vegetable juice.
It is stated by Rose et al. that one ounce of this mixture when applied to
food which is fed to
worms and to beds in which the worms are cultivated or shipped will
effectively color
approximately one hundred worms.
Although Rose et al. apparently discloses an effective method for coloring
live worms, it
has been found by the inventor of the present invention that many presently
available edible food
colorings are unsatisfactory for coloring live bait worms, and that the amount
of food coloring
recommended by Rose et al. is in many cases detrimental to the viability of
the worms.
Therefore, there is a continued need for an effective method to color live
bait worms.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The above-described disadvantages of presently known methods and compositions
for
coloring live bait are overcome by the present invention, which provides a
method and
composition for coloring live bait worms. In the method of the present
invention, live bait worms
are supported on a coloring medium comprising a worm storage medium containing
a colorant.
As the worms ingest the coloring medium, the colorant is assimilated into and
onto the flesh of
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the worms by adhesion and adsorption, thereby causing them to become colored.
The inventor
has found that worms colored according to the invention are able to retain
their color for
prolonged periods of time after being removed from the coloring medium.
The inventor has found that the selection of an effective colorant is crucial
both to the
ability of the worms to absorb and retain the color, as well as to maintain
the viability of the
worms during the time they are stored in the coloring medium. Contrary to the
teachings of Rose
et al., the inventor has found through experiment that, in general, edible
food colorings are
ineffective coloring agents for live bait worms. The inventor believes that
the ineffectiveness of
edible food colorings is at least partially due to their insolubility in the
worm storage medium as
well as their tendency to be rapidly metabolized so as not to adhere to, or
interact with, tissues
such as mucous membranes in humans and other organisms. The inventor has also
found that
increasing the concentration of food coloring in the coloring medium to the
levels disclosed by
Rose et al., to improve coloring ability, can be detrimental to the viability
of the worms during the
time they are stored in the coloring medium.
Therefore, the colorants used in the present invention are selected from the
group
consisting of man-made color additives certified by the United States Food and
Drug
Administration (FDA) for use in drugs and cosmetics ("D&C color additives"),
except those
which are certified for use in foods. Preferred among such D&C color additives
are xanthene
dyes and salts thereof, more preferably the xanthene compounds designated by
the FDA as D&C
Yellow Nos. 7 and 8, D&C Red Nos. 22 and 28, FD&C Red 3 and D&C Orange 5.
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One of the most preferred colorants according to the invention is D&C Yellow
No. 8,
which is very water soluble and therefore readily dissolves in moist worm
storage media.
Furthermore, the inventor has found that D&C Yellow No. 7 and D&C Yellow No. 8
are non-
toxic to worms and provide the worms with an intense fluorescent chartreuse
color which is
believed to enhance their ability to attract fish.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The method of the present invention is used to incorporate a colorant into a
live bait
worm. For this purpose, preferred bait worms according to the present
invention are common
earthworms such as dendrobaena venetta and lumbricus terrestris. After being
collected from the
earth, bait worms are typically transferred to a storage medium in quantities
of about 500 worms
per bulk bait box of volume 2.2 L until they are used as bait, or repackaged
in smaller point-of
sale bait cups of volume 8 to 12 ounce, each typically containing from about 8
to 24 worms. The
amount and composition of the storage medium is typically sufficient to permit
the worms to
survive for a period of about four to six weeks. For example, a bulk bait box
containing about 2
to 3 kg of storage medium is sufficient to maintain about S00 worms in a
viable state for about 4
to 6 weeks.
The worm storage media which may be used in the method and composition
according to
the invention include all conventional worm storage media, such as peat moss,
peat loam, top soil,
black soil and hydrated cellulose based media which include pulp, paper,
cardboard, newsprint,
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etc. The storage medium according to the invention may preferably comprise
mixtures of two or
more of these worm storage media. The most preferred worm storage medium for
use in the
present invention is peat loam. These storage media all contain some amount of
water. For
example, the percentage of water in the peat loam medium is about 65 percent
by weight of the
medium.
In order to produce a coloring medium according to the present invention, a
colorant is
added to the storage medium in an amount which is non-toxic to the worms
during the period in
which they are stored in the coloring medium, and which will impart color to
the worms.
As discussed above, the colorants used in the present invention are selected
from the
group consisting of man-made color additives certified by the United States
Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) for use in drugs, cosmetics and foods, and more
preferably those which are
certified for use in drugs and cosmetics only, referred to herein as "D&C
color additives".
Preferred among such FDA certified color additives are xanthene dyes and salts
thereof, more
preferably the xanthene compounds designated by the FDA as D&C Yellow Nos. 7
and 8, D&C
Red Nos. 22 and 28, FD&C Red No 3 and D&C Orange No. S. The structural
formulas of these
xanthene dyes are set out below. Mixtures of two or more colorants can be used
to impart the
desired color to the worms.
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o ~ o"
\I I/
i \ o
0
D&C Yellow No. 7
(Fluorescein)
uoo / o ~ oHa
\I I
/ \ o
0
D&C Yellow No. 8
(Uranine)
.°
I
/ / /
/
\I
D&C Red No. 22
(Eosine Yellowish)
I I
H.~ 0 0
I \ o
/ / / I
\ I
D&C Red No. 3
(Erythosine B)
-o \ o / o
I
/ / /
/I
D&C Red No. 28
(Phloxine B)
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HO O OH
~ o
0
D&C Orange No. 5
The most preferred colorant according to the invention is D&C Yellow No. 8,
also known
as uranine, which is the disodium salt of D&C Yellow No. 7, also known as
fluorescein. Since it
is a salt, D&C Yellow No. 8 is highly soluble in water and readily dissolves
in moist worm storage
media. Furthermore, D&C Yellow No. 8 provides the worms with an intense
fluorescent
chartreuse color which is believed to enhance their ability to attract fish.
It is believed that the particular efficacy of D&C Yellow No. 8 over other
colorants may
be related to its high solubility in water, which permits its assimilation
into and onto the flesh of
the bait worms by adhesion and adsorption. The inventor has also found that
D&C Yellow No. 8,
as well as the other xanthene dyes mentioned above, are not detrimental to the
viability of the
worms as evidenced by their complete incorporation into the alimentary tract
of the worm. In
particular, the inventor has found that while a considerable amount of care
needs to be taken with
most dyes to control worm mortality, D&C Yellow Nos. 7 and 8 remain non-toxic
even at high
concentrations, for example in amounts of about 2500 mg/8 ounce bait cup
containing 12 worms,
or about 150 mg dye per worm.
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In addition to the above advantages, D&C Yellow Nos. 7 and 8 can be readily
removed
from boats, hands, fishing gear, clothing etc. with soapy water, whereas many
other dyes,
particularly the triphenyls FD&C Blue No. 1 and FD&C Green No. 3 are difficult
to remove.
Furthermore, D&C Yellow Nos. 7 and 8, has an intense yellowish-green
fluorescence which
persists in extremely dilute, aqueous solutions (i.e. 1 part in 40 million).
D&C Yellow No. 8 is
also biodegradable, and is frequently used to trace the course of underground
streams and factory
and sewer ei~luents.
In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the coloring medium is prepared
by adding
1 to 10 g, more preferably 3 to 6 g, still more preferably about 5.0 g of
colorant per kg of storage
medium. The colorant may preferably be added to the storage medium as a
powder, granule,
liquid or spray. This coloring medium can also be prepared as a concentrate
for easier
transportation or shipping, to be mixed with additional storage medium to make
the above final
amounts at a later time.
The process for coloring bait worms according to the present invention can
include
separate incubation and storage periods. This process can be carned out on
bulk worm amounts
of 100-1000 worms per container or on smaller point-of sale quantities of 8-24
worms equally
effectively. For example worms can be colored in bulk by incubating 100 to
1000, more
preferably 300 to 600, still more preferably 500, regular worms in a standard
Styrofoam bait box
containing about 0.05 to 2.0 kg, more preferably 0.8 to 1.2 kg, and still more
preferably 1.0 kg of
the coloring medium according to the present invention at a temperature and
for a time sufficient
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to permit the worms to become colored. Preferably the temperature of the
storage medium with
the worms is maintained in the range from about 34°F to 75°F,
more preferably at about 38°F to
60°F, and still more preferably between 40°F to 50°F. The
activity of the worms is significantly
greater at the higher end of this temperature range than at the lower end of
the range. Thus, the
incubation period at a temperature of about 50°F to 60°F is on
the order of about 2 days to 4
days, whereas an incubation period of about 7 to IO days is required at
34°F to 40°F. Incubation
of the worms should continue until they are the desired color and intensity.
After the incubation period, the bulk colored worms can also be stored in bulk
by placing
them in virgin storage medium, not containing any colorant. The inventor has
found that bulk
worms colored according to the present invention will retain their color for 7-
10 days at 35°F and
for only about 3 days at 45°F to 50°F. In order to extend the
period, for which worms retain
their color, for example to about four to six weeks, the coloring medium is
preferably used to
store the worms until they are used as bait. This will ensure that the worms
have the proper color
when they are used as bait. If the coloring medium is consumed by the bulk
worms to the point
where it no longer offers any nutritional value to the worms prior to their
use as bait, the coloring
medium can be supplemented with additional coloring medium or the coloring
medium can be
replaced entirely with fresh coloring medium. In this way, it is very easy to
store the bulk worms,
in a colored state, for any period of time from days, to weeks, months and
even years.
Alternatively, after the incubation, the above bulk colored worms can be
divided into
smaller amounts and stored in actual point-of sale containers ready for use as
bait by the end user
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rather than in bulk containers. For example, 8-24 of the worms previously
colored in bulk as
described above can be added to a normal 8 to 12 ounce Styrofoam, paper, or
plastic bait cup and
topped with the coloring medium (containing 5 g colorant D&C Yellow 8 per kg
of the storage
medium). When the container is capped with a lid and stored at 34°F to
38°F, the worms will
remain viable, and colored for about four to six weeks and are ready for
immediate use as bait.
In another application of the process, the incubation and storage can be
carried out in the
same vessel. For example 8-24 regular worms which have not been previously
colored can be
added to the bait cup and topped with the coloring medium prepared with D&C
Yellow 8 and
stored at 34°F to 38°F as above. In this case, the regular,
uncolored, worms require an initial
incubation period of about one week to lapsed before the worms acquire the
desired color and
intensity to be used as colored bait worms. The worms will then remain colored
and viable in the
bait cup of about four to six weeks. In both examples, the worms can be kept
viable and colored
indefinitely, if required, simply by changing the coloring medium once it has
been consumed.
In another application of the invention the use of different coloring mediums
for the
incubation and storage periods is utilized. For example, regular, uncolored
worms can be
incubated in bulk utilizing coloring medium prepared with the colorant D&C
Yellow 8. After the
incubation period, point-of sale quantities of 8-24 worms can be removed from
this coloring
medium and stored in a bait container which is topped up with a different
coloring medium
prepared with D&C Yellow 7 colorant. Due to the low water solubility of D&C
Yellow 7,
incubating worms with this dye results in slow dye uptake by the worms.
However, worms dyed
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with D&C Yellow 8, and subsequently placed in fresh coloring medium containing
D&C Yellow
7, will retain their color for an extended period of time. However, D&C Yellow
7 will not
substantially color the medium, and therefore when the worms are eventually
removed from the
container and used as bait, there will be little or not staining of hands etc.
by the dye.
In another example of the invention very large quantities of worms, on the
order of many
thousands of worms or many tens of thousands of worms can be colored by
utilizing the coloring
medium and very large containers or earth beds.
EXPERIMENTAL
The inventor conducted numerous experiments to determine the effectiveness of
a number
of color additives to color live bait worms. The results of these experiments
are summarized in
the following Table I.
Table I: Effectiveness of dye and respective Solubility in water (mg/ml at
25°C)
Colorant SolubilityChemical ClassEffectiveness as worm coloring
agent
FD&C Dyes
FD&C Red 40 22 Monoazo No coloration. Worms remain
viable
FD&C Yellow 19 Monoazo No coloration. Worms remain
6 viable
FD&C Blue 2 Indigoid No coloration. Worms remain
2 viable
(pure and
lake)
FD&C Red 3 Xanthene (Na+)Worms become and remained pinkish/red
when used in amounts of 50-800
mg.
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FD&C Yellow 20 Pyrazolone Color not retained. Worms remain
viable
FD&C 20 Triphenyl Color not retained. Worms remain
viable
Green 3 methane
FD&C Blue 20 Triphenyl Worms become and remain blue.
1 Worms
methane viable if carefully applied.
Very difficult to
use due to dusting. Dye stains
hands,
fishing equipment easily although
extremely
dii~icult to remove.
D&C Dyes
D&C Yellow 30 Xanthene (Na+)Worms become and remain bright
8
Chartreuse in color even with
concentrations as low as 25
mg. Preferred
range for commercial application
is
between 200-600 mg). Worms remain
very
healthy and viable even in very
high
concentration of >2500 mg. Excess
color
can be removed from hands and
fishing
gear readily by washing.
D&C Yellow 0.3 Xanthene (freeWorms become and remain bright
7
acid) Chartreuse in color even with
concentrations as low as 25
mg. Preferred
range for commercial application
is
between 200-600 mg. Worms remain
very
healthy and viable even in very
high
concentrations of >2500 mg.
Excess color
can be removed from hands and
fishing
gear readily by washing. Low
solubility in
water makes this colorant less
environmentally intrusive.
D&C Red 22 33 Xanthene (Na+)Worms become and remain pinkish/red
when used in concentrations
of 50-800 mg.
Mortality begins to become a
factor at the
upper end of this range.
D&C Red 28 9 Xanthene (Na+)Worms become pinkish red when
used in
concentration between 50-800
mg.
Increased mortality near upper
end of this
range.
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D&C Orange 0.3 Xanthene (acidWorms become and remain orange
in
free) concentrations of 50-800 mg.
Mortality
increases at upper range.
Experimental procedure. Each powdered colorant was mixed with peat loam medium
and added
to an 8 oz cup containing 12 healthy and natural worms. Concentrations given
as mg colorant
per 8 oz cup containing about 120 g peat loam. Worms were inspected for color
and viability 24
hrs., 36 hrs., and when still viable, 3-4 weeks later.
Although the invention has been described in connection with certain preferred
embodiments, it is not intended to be limited thereto. Rather, the invention
includes all
embodiments which may fall within the scope of the following claims.
