Fishhook

Normally if one tries to cast a nightcrawler the wear and tear on the nightcrawler is appreciable and before long the nightcrawler has been lost. Impaling the nightcrawler a large number of times on the hook is counter-productive since the nightcrawler then cannot extend itself to an enticing length and the damage done by the multiple passage of the hook through the nightcrawler greatly shortens the useful life of the worm as bait.

The prior art shows various multiple hook configurations which are for different purposes than the present invention. In the present invention barbs are provided upon which the worm is impaled whereas the prior art with the multiple hooks the bait must be impaled on each hook by the fisherman. Examples of the prior art are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,756,536, 3,465,466.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a fishhook having an integral sinker to facilitate casting a worm without rapid loss of the worm. To prevent the loss, the barbs are embedded in the lead cast sinker and are positioned so the worm is impaled on the barbs without extensive damage to the worm.

FIG. 1 is a cross section through the fishhook made according to the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the manner in which a worm may be impaled on the present hook.

Shank 10 of fishhook 12 is bent at a right angle at 14 to permit lead sinker 16 to be cast on the shank with the eyelet 18 projecting to one side of the sinker. Prior to the casting of the sinker a wire is bent in the middle at 20 and is mounted to project along the shank 10 of the hook. After the sinker has been cast the exposed ends 22 of the wire are bent outwardly and somewhat forwardly towards the front of the sinker. Cutting the wire leaves sharp ends on the wire. Thus, when a worm 24 is impaled on the hook 12 as shown in FIG. 2, it is impaled on the exposed sharp barbs 22 without the barbs passing through the worm. Since the hook now does not pull sideways on the worm, the worm is not "cut in half."

With the present fishhook it is possible to cast a worm for a considerable period of time without loss of the worm. The improvement relative to normal casting of a nightcrawler is considerable. The usual nightcrawler technique results in a considerable loss of worms with undesired feeding of the fish.

It will be noted the barbs face towards the "front" of the assembly so that water pressure during retrieval tends to hold the worm on the barbs. If the barbs face rearwardly towards the hook the water pressure would tend to pull the worm off the barbs. The neck 26 on the lead sinker serves to capture the wire (the ends of which form the barbs) and is thin enough to permit the barbs to be bent towards the front and have enough clearance between the barbs and the main sinker body to allow movement of the worm.

While the principal purpose of this design is to improve the retention of live night crawlers the design is also of utility in more firmly anchoring plastic night crawlers. Plastic worms are customarily molded over a hook and the plastic can tear free of the hook. With the present design the front of the plastic worm is molded over the barbs with the shank of the hook embedded in the worm. Thus the molded-on worm appears the same as a live worm. The barbs give added anchorage for the plastic and increase the useable "life" of the plastic worm. Live worms are generally more productive than plastic and for that reason the primary use of this design is with live worms.