Patent Application
20230095841
Not applicable
Sonar fish finders are commonly utilized by freshwater fisherman to identify underwater topography for promising fishing areas as well as to locate schools of fish. The fish finders operate through sending and receiving sonar signals. The transducer of the fish finder sends sonar signals into the water, which then bounce off objects in the water. The returned signals are then received by the transducer of the fish finder and interpreted. The structures and fish under the boat and even the location of the fisherman's fishing lure are displayed on the screen of the fish finder. However, the location of the fishing lure is often difficult to see on the screen because many lures absorb the sonar beam instead of reflecting it.
It would therefore be desirable to develop fishing lures and terminal tackle that provide a more reflective surface for the sonar beam of the fish finder in order to increase the visibility of the fishing lure and/or terminal tackle on the display of fish finder.
The present invention is directed to a sonar reflective fishing lure or terminal tackle that includes a body, sonar reflective surfaces that are raised from the body or recessed in the body, and a hook connected to the body. The sonar reflective surfaces face in different directions and define an outline of a shape that may be repeating. The sonar reflective surfaces facing in different directions causes the fishing lure or terminal tackle to have enhanced sonar reflectivity because the sonar waves are effectively reflected by the surfaces. The positioning of the reflective surface also allows at least some of the surfaces to be contacted by a sonar beam of a fish finder regardless of the positioning of the fishing lure or terminal tackle relative to the sonar beam.
These and other features, objects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood from a consideration of the following drawings, detailed description of the preferred embodiments and appended claims.
With reference to
In one embodiment, the present invention is directed to artificial fishing lures or terminal tackle 10 having sonar reflective surfaces. The outer surface 16 of the body 24 of the fishing lure 12, such as a crankbait as shown in
The sonar reflective surfaces 22 face in different directions, which allows at least some of the reflective surfaces 22 to be contacted by the sonar beam of the fish finder regardless of the positioning of the fishing lure or terminal tackle relative to the sonar beam. This also makes the fishing lure more reflective and therefore more visible on the display screen. To create these reflective surfaces 22 facing in different directions, the repeating shapes include interior angles. For example, in
As shown in
The present invention is also directed to a sonar reflective composition for fishing lures and terminal tackle. In one embodiment, the composition is preferably a gel that includes a suspended mixture of one or more powdered metals. The gel is preferably a silicone-based or petroleum-based gel. The powdered metals may include copper, aluminum, tungsten, iron, bronze, stainless steel, and carbon steel, but other high density and high reflectivity metals may alternatively be used. The gel is preferably contained in a small bottle similar to the size of a fingernail polish bottle that is easily storable in the fisherman's tackle box. To apply the composition to a fishing lure or terminal tackle, the fisherman opens the bottle and brushes the composition onto the exterior surface of the fishing lure or terminal tackle that the fisherman intends to use. In one embodiment, the gel also preferably includes a masking scent or fish attractant. The masking scent or fish attractant may include garlic, anise, crawfish, shad, squid, shrimp, and coffee scents. Because the gel has a limited life once applied to the fishing lure, the gel must be re-applied regularly for maximum effectiveness. The powdered metal suspended in the gel makes the fishing lure or terminal tackle much more reflective to the sonar beam of the fish finder. As a result, the fishing lure or terminal tackle appears much brighter on the display screen of the fish finder and is easier to see on the screen by the fisherman. In addition to their reflectivity characteristics, powdered metals were chosen because they do not add a substantial amount of weight to the fishing lure.
In yet another embodiment, instead of the composition being applied to the exterior surface of the fishing lure or terminal tackle right before the lure or tackle is to be used, the mixture of powdered metals is included throughout the plastic lure or terminal tackle. By mixing the powdered metals with the plastic liquid that the fishing lure or terminal tackle is manufactured from in an injection mold process, the powdered metals are consistently present throughout the fishing lure or terminal tackle. The powdered metals in the fishing lure or terminal tackle makes the fishing lure or terminal tackle much more reflective to the sonar beam of the fish finder. As a result, the fishing lure or terminal tackle appears much brighter on the display screen of the fish finder and is easier to see on the screen by the fisherman.
It should be understood that the reflective composition and the pattern of shapes created by the sonar reflective surfaces described in this application may be used with any type of artificial fishing bait or terminal tackle, including, but not limited to, jig heads, fishing weights, and beads.
The present invention has been described with reference to certain preferred and alternative embodiments that are intended to be exemplary only and not limiting to the full scope of the present invention.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/251,005, entitled “Sonar Reflective Composition for Fishing Lures” and filed on Sep. 30, 2021. The complete disclosure of said patent application is hereby incorporated by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63251005 | Sep 2021 | US |
