The present invention fishing lure equipment and, in particular, to a holder for facilitating the rigging of bait.
The proper rigging of natural bait is a valued skill for experienced anglers. The rigging prepares the bait for natural travel on the fishing line for presenting the best attraction to lure target species. Techniques vary with the bait species. For bait fish, it is preferred to rig the bait by closing both the gills and nose of the fish, commonly know as nose rigging. This is generally done by holding the fish and inserting a rigging needle with thread line transversely through the fish at the gills and tying line to close the gill covers. Thereafter, the needle is inserted through the jaw and nostrils of the fish. Finally, a towing loop is fashioned, for attachment to the reel line.
Many fishermen prefer hand rigging, holding the bait and inserting the rigging needle through the fish in the rigging sequence. Performing the rigging on board a boat, particularly in rough water, poses the danger of physical injury to the rigger. Alternatively, the needle may be inserted by holding the bait against a solid surface and the resulting contact can dull or break the needle point.
Fish holding devices have been disclosed, primarily for holding the caught species for cleaning. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,098,338 and 4,977,644 disclose V-shaped supports for holding the fish during cleaning. Both have solid support surfaces that would be disadvantageously impacted if rigging thereon were contemplated. Lure specific rigging devices have also been proposed. U.S. Pat. No. 2,502,816 discloses a slotted conical holder for inserting barbed hooks into small bait fish such as minors. U.S. Pat. No. 2,880,545 discloses a template for inserting Longitudinal and transverse barbed hooks into bait. None would address the mentioned problems regarding the nose rigging of bait fish.
The present invention provides a holder for stably and safely rigging bait fish, particularly nose rigging. Herein, a V-shaped trough supports the bait fish along its entire length. The trough includes a frontal slot that allows a rigging needle to be inserted through the jaw and nose when the bait is vertically oriented. The trough includes a side slot for transverse insertion of the rigging needle through the gill covers, preparatory to tying closure. Both insertions may be made without encountering any point dulling surfaces and allow the fish to be removed after penetration for manually completing the rigging operations. The holder includes provisions for holding a plurality of needles of varying sizes, as well as a support for rigging spools. The holder is adapted for use on the fishing boat at typical tackle stations or on commonly available accessories. According, the rigger may quickly and safely rig bait, of all types and sizes, without risking physical injury or equipment damage
The above and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:
Referring to
Referring additionally to
The trough 22 is provided with a frontally opening slot 30 at the base of the inner ends of the plates 26, 28. The slot 30 terminates forwardly of the front support leg 24. The rear side plate 28 is provided with a transverse slot 32 positioned slightly forwardly of the front support leg 24 and slightly vertically behind the base of the slot 30. As shown in
The base 20 includes a pair of transverse dados for receiving the lower ends of the support legs 24, 25. The legs have a width and thickness for receipt in the dados and have a V-shaped notch 40 in the upper ends for receiving the lower surfaces of the trough 22. Rubber pads 41 are provided on the lower surface of the base to prevent movement on the support surface. Upwardly diverging and opening slots 42 are formed in the front of the legs 24, 25 for transversely supporting a longer rigging needle 44, or other rigging tools. Referring to
For rigging, referring to
It will thus be appreciated that the present invention provides a holder usable for stably and quickly rigging a variety of bait without attendant safety for personnel and equipment.
Having thus described a presently preferred embodiment of the present invention, it will now be appreciated that the objects of the invention have been fully achieved, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that many changes in construction and widely differing embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves without departing from the sprit and scope of the present invention. The disclosures and description herein are intended to be illustrative and are not in any sense limiting of the invention, which is defined solely in accordance with the following claim.
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