Game imitating the catching of fish by plug casting

Abstract

A fishing apparatus comprising a horizontally extending fish support, one or more flat, relatively thin fish-shaped members releaseably mounted on the fish support, each fish-shaped member having a tapered mouth at on end thereof and a circular snare opening connecting to the mouth through a guide slot, a cast-over bar supported behind the fish support in spaced parallel relation, the fish support and cast-over bar being made of floatable material, a casting line, a plug adapted to be connected to the end of the casting line so that the plug and line can be cast over the fish-shaped members and the cast-over bar, each plug being made of resilient material and being provided with a nose piece adjacent to the connection of the line to the plug, the nose piece being receivable in the snare opening, whereby, when the plug is pulled into the circular snare opening and the line is pulled thereafter, the fish-shaped member will be pulled away from the fish support in a manner simulating the catching of fish in actual water.

1 . A fishing apparatus comprising
 a horizontally extending fish support;   a horizontally extending cast-over back bar connected to the fish support and extending in spaced parallel relation thereto;   the fish support and back bar being made floatatable so that the fish support and back bar can float on the surface of water;   one or more flat, relatively thin fish shaped members, each having the outline of a fish and each having an upper end forming an angled mouth and a lower end resembling the tail of a fish, each fish shaped member having a circular snare opening therein mounted directly below the mouth of the fish shaped member and a guide slot leading from the mouth of the fish-shaped member to the circular snare opening, each fish shaped member being connected to the fish support by a releaseable holding means,   a casting line,   a plug adapted to be connected to the end of the casting line so that the plug and line can be cast over the back bar and the angled mouths of the fish shaped members, each plug being made of resilient material and being provided with a nose piece adjacent to the connection of the line to the plug, the nose piece tapering outwardly from a diameter of smaller size than the circular snare opening in the fish shaped member where the plug connects to the line to a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the snare opening in the fish-shaped member, the plug being provided with a recess beyond the larger diameter of the nose piece so that, when the plug is pulled into the circular snare opening in the fish-shaped member, the nose piece will squeeze through the opening until the sides of the opening are received in the recess of the plug, so that pulling on the line after the plug has been received in the circular snare opening will cause the fish shaped member to pull against the releaseable holding means to release the fish-shaped member from the fish support.   
   
   
       2 . A fishing apparatus as set forth in  claim 1  further including
 a vertical support having an upper end and a lower end;   the upper end of the vertical support being connected to the horizontal fish support;   the lower end of the vertical support supporting the fishing apparatus from the ground;   a horizontal supporting pipe located forward and below the horizontal fish support and parallel thereto;   the horizontal supporting pipe having an inclined flat surface which extends for the length of pipe;   a horizontal connecting pipe extending from the vertical support and at right angles thereto to the horizontal supporting pipe at right angles thereto;   a flat, essentially upright game board having an upper end and a lower end;   the upper end of the game board resting against the horizontal fish support and over the fish thereon;   the lower end of the game board resting against the inclined flat surface and being adhesively connected thereto;   the game board having a gap therein which is in alignment with the guide slot in the fish shaped member, the gap in the game board being disposed between a pair of doors which are mounted on hinge axes for swinging movement when a fish-shaped member is pulled against the doors,   the game board being tapered inwardly on opposite sides of the gap so that a fisherman, if he gets his line over the upper end of the game board, can manipulate the line by sideways tugging into the gap and thereafter into the guide slot, and continued pulling on the line will cause the fish shaped member to be released from the fish support and to spring out through the hinged doors in a manner simulating the catching of fish in actual water.   
   
   
       3 . A fishing apparatus as set forth in  claim 2  wherein the game board is provided with
 a flexible and adjustable plastic loop located at the upper end of the game board to provide a target for the fisherman to cast the plug between the loop and the upper end of the game board.   
   
   
       4 . A fishing apparatus as set forth in  claim 1  wherein each fish is provided with
 a separable mouth piece adhesively attached to the upper end of the fish;   the separable mouth piece having therein the snare opening and the guide slot.