Patent Grant
11503814
The present invention relates generally to fishing devices and methods of using the fishing devices. More particularly, the embodiments disclosed herein remove invasive fish species selectively and effectively en masse.
Invasive fish species are serious threat to the native ecosystem. Invasive fish species commonly lack predators and over populate. Invasive fish species compete with native fishes for food sources, causing the populations of native fishes to decline, which may cause further decline of other native species that feed on the native fishes endangering the entire native ecosystem.
For example, cyprinus carpio (herein after “carp”) is an invasive fish species in North America. Carp was introduced to North America in late 1800s from Europe. Due to its habit of rooting in the bottom of the lake while searching for food, the common carp uproots aquatic vegetation, disturbs bottom sediments, releases nutrients from sediments into water column and deteriorates water quality of the lakes. Carp is also one of the leading causes of biodiversity declines in the lakes of North America.
Carp needs to be removed from the lakes to preserve the natural habitat and improve water quality. Additionally, carp needs to be removed selectively, without harming native fish and impacting natural habitat. They also need to be removed effectively en masse to make carp management economically viable. The embodiments disclosed herein provide solutions to remove carp from the lakes selectively and effectively en masse.
Traditional solutions of removing carps use large commercial seine nets (often over 1,000 feet long) that are dragged along the bottom of the lake. These seine nets are not very selective. They capture both the carp and native fishes. The seine nets also disrupt the bottom of the lake, disrupt aquatic vegetation stands and disrupt habitat for native fishes. Also, the seine nets snag easily on debris on the bottom allowing the carp to escape and learn how to avoid such nets in the future. Also, a large number of people is required to operate these nets. Therefore, current solution of using seine nets is not effective and arguably causes some unintended harm to the native ecosystem.
This invention selectively attracts carp to an area using baits with high specificity (over 95% fish attracted are carp). The embodiments of the invention condition carp to aggregate in a certain area over a period of time. The embodiments remove the attracted carp in large quantity. The embodiments do not harm other fish species because they primarily attract carp and other species caught in those nets can be easily released. The device is stationary, not pulled across the lake, thus it can be easily used around obstacles on the bottom. Due to the design, the embodiments can be triggered by one person, or triggered automatically once certain conditions are met. Due to the unique design of the embodiments of the invention, the captured fish can be harvested en masse.
The present invention relates generally to fishing devices and methods of using the fishing devices. More particularly, the embodiments disclosed herein remove invasive fish species selectively and effectively en masse.
According to one embodiment, a fishing device includes a net disposed in a body of water containing fishes. A plurality of posts, wherein each post further includes a stem, a bottom cross disposed at a lower portion of the stem, a cross bar disposed at a top end of the stem, and a cord. The stem is an upright elongated protrusion extending from under a bottom to above a surface of the body of water. The cord is slidably secured to the cross bar. A first end of the cord is secured to a weight. A second end of the cord is secured to the net. The fishing device includes a release mechanism. The release mechanism grabs a portion of the cord to hold the weight in a first position adjacent to the cross bar. A bait system is disposed at or adjacent to a center of the net.
According to one embodiment, a method includes setting up a fishing device in a baiting mode. The fishing device includes a net disposed in a body of water containing fishes. A plurality of posts, wherein each post further includes a stem, a bottom cross disposed at a lower portion of the stem, a cross bar disposed at a top end of the stem, and a cord. The stem is an upright elongated protrusion extending from under a bottom to above a surface of the body of water. The cord is slidably secured to the cross bar. A first end of the cord is secured to a weight. A second end of the cord is secured to the net. The fishing device includes a release mechanism. The release mechanism grabs a portion of the cord to hold the weight in the first position adjacent to the cross bar. A bait system is disposed at or adjacent to a center of the net.
The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical advantages of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the invention will be described hereinafter that form the subject of the claims of the invention. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the concepts and specific embodiments disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. The novel features that are believed to be characteristic of the invention, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages will be better understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying figures. It is to be expressly understood, however, that each of the figures is provided for the purpose of illustration and description only and is not intended as a definition of the limits of the present invention.
For a more complete understanding of the disclosed systems and methods, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
Similar reference numbers in the figures refer to similar features. The features shown in the figures are exemplary only and should not be construed as to limit the scope of the claims.
The plurality of posts 102 act in synchronization. They are either in baiting mode or in harvest mode.
As shown in
As shown in
A post 102 includes a cross bar 106, a stem 108, a bottom cross 110, a weight 112, a cord 114, a release mechanism 116, and a release rope 122. The post 102 is inserted to a bottom of a lake, with the bottom cross 110 disposed near a top surface of the bottom of the lake. The stem 108 extends below the bottom cross 110 and is inserted into the soil at the bottom of the lake. The bottom cross 110 stabilizes the post 102 against tilting and/or sinking too deep into soft bottom.
The stem 102 is an upright-standing elongated protrusion that extends from the bottom of the lake up to 3 to 20 feet above the surface of the water. A cross bar 106 is attached to a top end of the stem 102. As shown in
The cross bar 106 includes hanging mechanisms, e.g., wheels, metal rings, or pulleys, that hang the weight 112 through the cord 114. The cord 114 has two ends. One end of the cord 114 is secured to the weight 112. Another end of the cord 114 is secured to the net 104 at the connection point 118. The hanging mechanism allows the cord 114 to slide. In one embodiment, the hanging mechanisms are two wheels attached at a lower side of the cross bar 106. In another embodiment, the cross bar 106 is a pipe with cavity inside, and the hanging mechanisms are two wheels installed inside of the cavity of the cross bar 106. In another embodiment, the cord slides through metal rings attached to each end of the cross bar 106. As shown in
The post 102 has two modes: baiting mode and harvest mode. In baiting mode, the weight 112 is hanged adjacent to the cross bar 106. The weight 112 is in a relatively higher position (a first position) in baiting mode compared to a position in harvest mode (a second position).
In baiting mode, a portion of the cord 114 is secured by the release mechanism 116, such that the weight 112 is held at the first position adjacent to the cross bar 106, and the net 104 is laid on the bottom of the lake. In one embodiment, to ensure the net 104 stays at the bottom of the lake, one or more lead ropes can be woven into the net 104.
To switch from the baiting mode to the harvest mode, the release mechanism 116 releases the cord 114, allowing the weight 112 to drop from the first position to the second position. While the weight 112 is dropping, the weight 112 pulls the net 104 up. In the harvest mode, the connection point 118 of the net is pulled above the water surface for 1 to 5 feet, in one embodiment.
The release mechanism 116 is caused to release the cord when an activator is triggered by pulling the release rope 122. In one embodiment, the activator is a lever disposed inside of the release mechanism 116. When the lever is pulled by the release rope 122, a cord grabber of the release mechanism 116 releases the cord 114, allowing the weight 112 to drop and pulling the net 104 up.
The release rope 122 is made of a buoyant material that floats on the surface of the water. The release rope 122 can be made with polypropylene or any other material that floats on top of water. One end of the release rope 122 is attached to the release mechanism 116. The other end of the release rope 122 is attached to the rope holder 120 that is located at least 20 feet away from the net 104. In one embodiment, a user can pull the release ropes 122 to release the weight 112 which in turn pulls up the net 104 into the harvest position. In another embodiment, the rope holder includes one or more motors that are able to pull the release ropes 122 automatically in response to command. In some embodiments, the rope holder 120 is located on shore. In other embodiments, the rope holder 120 is on the water.
In baiting mode, the net 104 lays at the bottom of the lake allowing the fishes, e.g., carps, to feed on the bait system 130. The bait system 130 is preferably disposed near or around the center of the net 104, maximizing the amount the fish to be captured. One or multiple baiting systems 130 can be used in each net 104. As the invasive species (e.g., carps) aggregate around the bait system 130, the release mechanism 116 can be triggered to release the cord 114, allowing the weight 112 to drop and simultaneously pull up the net 104 to harvest the fishes.
The stem 102 is an upright-standing elongated protrusion that extends from below the bottom of the lake up to 3 to 25 feet above the surface of the water 202. A cross bar 106 is attached to a top end of the stem 102. In another embodiment, the cross bar 106 can be installed below the top end of the stem 102. In one embodiment, the cross bar 106 is installed at or above the surface of the water and below the top end of the stem 102. In another embodiment, the cross bar 106 is installed at or below the water. In one embodiment, the stem 102 is a standalone upright protruding structure that extends from below the bottom of the lake up to 0 to 25 feet above the water surface, wherein the stem 102 is installed away from the shore and is not installed on a concrete block or the like. In one embodiment, the stem 102 is a standalone upright protruding structure that extends from below the bottom of the lake up above the water surface, wherein the stem 102 is not installed on a boat.
In baiting mode 200, the weight 112 is hanged adjacent to the cross bar 106. The weight 112 is in a relatively higher position (a first position, see
To switch from the baiting mode 200 to the harvest mode 300, the release mechanism 116 releases the cord 114, allowing the weight 112 to drop from the first position (higher position) to the second position (lower position). While the weight 112 is dropping, the sides of the net 104 are being pulled up encircling the fishes intended to be removed within the net 104.
The release mechanism 116 is caused to release the cord 114 when an activator of the release mechanism 116 is triggered. In one embodiment, the activator of the release mechanism 116 is triggered by pulling the release rope 122. In one embodiment, the activator is a lever disposed inside of the release mechanism 116. When the activator is triggered, a cord grabber of the release mechanism releases the cord 114, allowing the weight 112 to drop in position and pulling the side walls of the net 104 up. In one embodiment, the cord grabber is a jaw like mechanism, see 420 of
The release rope 122 is made of a buoyant material that floats on the surface of the water. The release rope 122 can be made with polypropylene or any other material that floats on top of water. One end of the release rope 122 is attached to the release mechanism 116. The other end of the release rope 122 is attached to the rope holder 120 that is located at least 20 feet away from the net 104. In one embodiment, a user can pull the release ropes 122 to release the weight 112 which, in turn, pulls up the net 104 to harvest the fishes. In another embodiment, the rope holder includes one or more motors that are able to pull the release ropes 122 automatically in response to a command transmitted with wire or wireless communication. In some embodiments, the rope holder 120 is located on the shore. In other embodiments, the rope holder 120 are on the water.
All features of the post 102 shown in
To switch from the baiting mode 200 to the harvest mode 300, the release mechanism 116 releases the cord 114, allowing the weight 112 to drop from the first position to the second position. While the weight 112 is dropping, the sides of the net 104 is pulled up, encircling the fishes intended to be removed within the net 104. In the harvest mode 300, the connection point 118 of the net is pulled above the water surface 202. In some embodiments, the connection points 118 are pulled 0 to 10 feet above the water surface 202.
The release mechanism 116 is secured to the stem 108 of the post 102 with an attachment mean 408. Any appropriate attachment mean can be used, for example, screws, metal bracket, metal clamps, joist, or the like. The release mechanism 116 includes a housing 402. The housing 402 includes a plurality of release rope seats 404 and grabber seats 405. As shown in
The release mechanism 116 includes an activator 410 and a cord grabber 420. The release rope 122 is connected to the activator 410. When the release rope 122 is being pulled, the activator 410 is triggered to cause the cord grabber 420 to release the cord 114.
In the embodiment of
As shown in
The bait bag 504 is a container that contains the bait and allows the fish to feed from it. In one embodiment, the bait bag 504 is a made with mesh. The mesh of the bait bag 504 has openings 5% to 50% smaller in diameter than the bait particle. The mesh material is somewhat elastic such that the fish can suck the bait out of the bait bag through the opening of the mesh. When fishes are not feeding on the bait, the bait stays inside of the bait bag 504 because the mesh opening of the bait bag 504 is smaller than the bait particle. In one embodiment, the bait is crushed corns with a particle diameter of 0.1-0.5 cm. In another embodiment, the bait is whole corn kernel with a particle diameter of 0.5-1.5 cm. In one embodiment, the bait bag 504 may contain 30 to 100 pounds of bait.
In one embodiment, the bait bag 504 can include two or more mesh bags overlapping with each other to slow down the consumption rate of the fish. Slowing down the bait consumption speed can retain the fishes longer within the net 104.
The anchor 506 is attached to the bait bag and holds the bait bag 504 in place, such that the bait bag 504 stays inside the capture element. The anchor 506 weighs from 2 to 20 pounds.
The bait bag 514 is the same or similar to the bait bag 504. The tank 510 is positioned higher than the bait bag 514. The bait system 130B may include a float assistance mechanism to maintain the tank 510 floating on top of the water surface 202 and maintain its up-right position as shown in
In one embodiment, the tank 510 has the capacity to store a first amount of bait. The bait bag 514 has the capacity to store a second amount of bait. The first amount is at least the same or larger than the second amount. In one embodiment, the first amount is 50-200 pounds, and the second amount is 50 pounds.
In one embodiment, the bait system 130B includes the tank 510 with the trigger rod 512, but not the bait bag 514. In this embodiment, the bait will be released directly into the water when the fishes touch the trigger rod 512. As such, the fishes can consume the bait directly without sucking the bait out of the bait bag 514.
In one embodiment, the floating pipe 602 is a PVC pipe capped at each end to achieve maximum buoyancy. In one embodiment, several capped PVC pipes are connected end-to-end using flexible joints which allow for flexibility of the floating pipe 602, which helps with aggregating fish in a desired area such as shown on
After the weights 112 are dropped and the perimeter of the net 104 is raised above the water surface 202, the fishes are encircled within the net 104, i.e., the harvest mode. One or more floating pipes 602 are inserted under the bottom of the net 104. The floating pipes 602 raise the portion of the bottom of the net 104 in contact with the pipes 602 above the water surface. In one embodiment, the portion of the bottom of the net 104 in contact with the floating pipe 602 can be raised three feet or less above the water surface 202.
One or more users can then push the floating pipes 602 toward one corner or one side of the net 104 to concentrate the fishes, which allows harvesting the fishes en masse conveniently. In one embodiment, harvesting may occur by pulling or rolling the part of the net where the fish are aggregated onto a boat.
As shown in
The method 800 includes a step 804 waiting for a period of time to allow fishes to aggregate around the bait system 130. The waiting period can be from 1 hour to 20 days, preferably 3-5 days.
The method 800 includes a step 806 triggering a release mechanism of the fishing device 100 to switch the fishing device 100 from the baiting mode 200 to harvest mode 300. The method 800 includes a step 808 inserting one or more floating pipes 602 underneath the net 104 to lift at least a portion of a bottom of the net 104 above the water surface.
The method 800 further includes step 810 pushing the floating pipes toward desired directions to concentrate the fishes in a desired area. The method 800 includes step 812 harvesting the fishes from the desired area. In one embodiment, the desired area is adjacent to a boat. In another embodiment, the desired area is adjacent to a shore.
Although the present disclosure and its advantages have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims. Moreover, the scope of the present application is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments of the process, machine, manufacture, composition of matter, means, methods and steps described in the specification. As one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate from the present invention, disclosure, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps, presently existing or later to be developed that perform substantially the same function or achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding embodiments described herein may be utilized according to the present disclosure. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to include within their scope such processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps.
This application is a continuation of Ser. No. 17/163,507, filed Jan. 31, 2021, which is a continuation of Ser. No. 16/250,231, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,959,416, filed Jan. 17, 2019, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/725,988, filed Aug. 31, 2018. The contents of the aforementioned applications are incorporated herein in its entirety for all purposes.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1640990 | Hinton | Aug 1927 | A |
| 3127692 | Adleberg | Apr 1964 | A |
| 3715831 | Mason | Feb 1973 | A |
| 3905143 | Poirot | Sep 1975 | A |
| 4745703 | Walter | May 1988 | A |
| 10959416 | Bajer | Mar 2021 | B2 |
| 11185065 | DeNicola | Nov 2021 | B2 |
| 20210144979 | Bajer | May 2021 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20210400937 A1 | Dec 2021 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62725988 | Aug 2018 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 17163507 | Jan 2021 | US |
| Child | 17473703 | US | |
| Parent | 16250231 | Jan 2019 | US |
| Child | 17163507 | US |
