Bank pole fishing apparatus
View Patent ↗A bank pole fishing apparatus includes an elongate pole having a sharpened lower end for insertion into the ground surface adjacent a body of water. The apparatus includes an endcap configured to receive and guide a fishing line toward and into the water. The apparatus includes a first collar referred to as a cleat to which the fishing line may be secured and which may be slidably moved upwardly or downwardly along the pole for the purpose of adjusting the position of a baited hook in the body of water. The apparatus includes a tension release member that is also capable of regulating the fishing line and includes a pair of legs that initially captures the fishing line and resists release thereof until a pulling force indicative of a fish strike is detected.
1 . A bank pole fishing apparatus for setting a hook or bait a predetermined distance away from a bank of a body of water, said bank pole fishing apparatus, comprising:
a bank pole having an elongate and linear configuration, the bank pole including (1) a lower end having a sharpened configuration for insertion into a ground surface proximate a body of water and (2) an upper end opposite the lower end;
an endcap coupled to the upper end of the bank pole, the endcap defining a channel for receiving a fishing line therethrough;
a first collar coupled to the bank pole and that includes a line attachment flange for securing a terminal end of the fishing line, the first collar being attached to the bank pole in a friction fit attachment that is selectively slidably movable therealong so as to adjust a position of the fishhook or bait relative to an edge of the body of water;
a second collar coupled to the bank pole in a friction fit arrangement and that includes a pair of legs that define a line capturing area for receiving the fishing line, wherein the second collar is selectively slidably movable along the bank pole to simultaneously move the fishhook or bait closer to or further away from the edge of the body of water,
each leg having a proximal end coupled to a pivot socket and a distal end opposite the proximal end, the pair of legs being pivotally movable between (1) a ready configuration at which the distal ends bear against one another and (2) a release configuration at which the distal ends are pulled away from one another thereby releasing the fishing line from the line capturing area.
2 . The apparatus as in claim 1 , wherein the pair of legs is movable to said release configuration when more than a predetermined amount of pulling force indicative of a fish strike is loaded on the fishing line.
3 . The apparatus as in claim 1 , wherein the pair of legs is movable to said release configuration when the pair of legs is pivoted outwardly.
4 . The apparatus as in claim 1 , wherein the pair of legs is movable to said release configuration when the proximal ends thereof are rotated in said pivot sockets, respectively, by a downstream pulling force on the fishing line situated in said line capturing area.
5 . The apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the first collar is configured with a tightening mechanism to selectively secure the first collar at a desired position along the bank pole to prevent unintentional movement.
6 . The apparatus as in claim 5 , wherein:
the first collar has a generally cylindrical configuration having an inner surface;
the tightening mechanism includes a plurality of nubs spaced apart from one another along said inner surface of the first collar.
7 . The apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the second collar is configured with a tightening mechanism to selectively secure the first collar at a desired position along the bank pole to prevent unintentional movement.
8 . The apparatus as in claim 7 , wherein:
the second collar has a generally cylindrical configuration having an inner surface;
the tightening mechanism includes a plurality of nubs spaced apart from one another along said inner surface of the first collar.
9 . The apparatus as in claim 1 , wherein said pair of legs is formed from a flexible material configured to store energy at said ready configuration, thereby providing a self-setting function while awaiting a fish strike.
10 . The apparatus as in claim 1 , wherein the fishing line is secured to the first collar and extends through the channel of the endcap and is then captured in the line capturing area defined by the pair of legs of the second collar so long as the pair of legs are in the ready configuration.
11 . A bank pole fishing apparatus for setting a hook or bait a predetermined distance away from a bank of a body of water, said bank pole fishing apparatus, comprising:
a bank pole having an elongate and linear configuration, the bank pole including (1) a lower end having a sharpened configuration for insertion into a ground surface and (2) an upper end opposite the lower end;
an endcap coupled to the upper end of the bank pole that defines a channel for receiving a fishing line therethrough;
a tension release member that includes a body portion having a pair of legs that define a line capturing area for receiving and retaining the fishing line extending from the endcap, the body portion having a cylindrical configuration and that is coupled to the bank pole proximate said endcap in a friction fit arrangement and that is selectively slidably movable along the bank pole to correspondingly move the fishhook or bait closer to or further away from the edge of the body of water,
each leg having a proximal end operatively coupled to a pivot socket in said body portion and a distal end opposite the proximal end, the pair of legs being pivotally movable between (1) a ready configuration at which the distal ends bear against one another so as to form a barrier to the fishing line and (2) a release configuration at which the distal ends are pulled away from one another thereby releasing the fishing line from the line capturing area.
12 . The apparatus as in claim 11 , further comprising a cleat having a cylindrical configuration slidably coupled to the bank pole in a friction fit arrangement and positioned intermediate said line tension member and said endcap, said cleat having a line attachment flange for securing a terminal end of the fishing line which then extends downstream to the endcap.
13 . The apparatus as in claim 12 , wherein the cleat is selectively slidably movable along the bank pole toward or away from the endcap, respectively so as to adjust a position of the fishhook or bait to be closer to or further away from an edge of the body of water.
14 . The apparatus as in claim 12 , wherein the tension release member includes a plurality of fasteners extending away from said body portion and that are configured to receive fishing tackle for storage.
15 . The apparatus as in claim 11 , wherein the pair of legs is movable to said release configuration when more than a predetermined amount of pulling force indicative of a fish strike is loaded on the fishing line.
16 . The apparatus as in claim 11 , wherein the pair of legs is movable to said release configuration when the pair of legs is pivoted outwardly.
17 . The apparatus as in claim 11 , wherein the pair of legs is movable to said release configuration when the proximal ends thereof are rotated in said pivot sockets, respectively, by a downstream pulling force on the fishing line and when the fishing line is situated in said line capturing area.
18 . The apparatus as in claim 11 wherein:
the cleat has a cylindrical configuration that includes an inner surface; and
the cleat has a tightening mechanism to selectively secure the cleat at a desired position along the bank pole to prevent unintentional movement, said tightening mechanism includes a plurality of nubs spaced apart from one another along said inner surface of the cleat.
19 . The apparatus as in claim 11 wherein:
said body portion of said tension release member as a cylindrical configuration that includes an inner surface; and
said tension release member has a tightening mechanism to selectively secure the cleat at a desired position along the bank pole to prevent unintentional movement, said tightening mechanism includes a plurality of nubs spaced apart from one another along said inner surface of the body portion.
20 . The apparatus as in claim 11 , wherein said pair of legs is formed from a flexible material configured to store energy at said ready configuration, thereby providing a self-setting function while awaiting a fish strike.