Fishing game with retraction mechanism

Abstract

According to one embodiment, the apparatus of the present invention includes one or more artificial fish which are removably placed on a support member and which can be engaged and removed by an operation which is similar to the action of fishing. An artificial lure is positioned over the support member and pulled toward the user in an attempt to engage the lure with one of the fish. If the lure engages such a fish, the fish is considered to be caught and can be drawn away from the support member toward the user. Additionally, one or more of the fish may be secured to the back side of the support member by way of an elastic bungee that extends when fish is pulled away from the support and then retracts to pull the fish back to the support after the fish has been released from the lure.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A fishing game, comprising:
 (a) a support member;   (b) a plurality of spaced apart hangers affixed to said support member;   (c) a plurality of fish game pieces, each of said game pieces having a front side and a back side, each of said game pieces comprising:
 (i) a mounting member on said back side of said fish game piece, said mounting member designed to mate with an associated one of said plurality of hangers and releasably hold said game piece against said support member, 
 (ii) an outwardly flaring upper terminus, said upper terminus having an angled guide surface leading to a guide slot in said upper terminus, 
 (iii) a lure engaging member affixed to said back side of said game piece proximate to said guide slot, 
 (iv) a tether having a first end and a second end, said tether first end attached to said game piece, said tether providing a restoring force tending to draw said game piece toward an associated hanger on said support member when said game piece is drawn away from said associated hanger, and 
   (d) a rod connected by a line to a lure, said lure suitable for engaging with said lure engaging member on said back side of each of said game pieces with sufficient attaching force to allow said rod to pull said engaged game fish away from said support member.   
     
     
         2 . A fishing game according to  claim 1 , wherein each of said plurality of fish game pieces is a flat cutout with an outline of a type of fish and a representation of said type of fish printed on said front side of said fish game piece. 
     
     
         3 . A fishing game according to  claim 1 , wherein said second end of said tether is attached to a weight hanging below said support surface. 
     
     
         4 . A fishing game according to  claim 1 , wherein said tether is elastic. 
     
     
         5 . A fishing game according to  claim 1 , wherein each hanger has hole therein that is coincident with a hold through said support surface and each tether passes through both said hanger hole and said support surface hole. 
     
     
         6 . A knockdown game, comprising:
 (a) a support member;   (b) a plurality of rearwardly rotatable targets mounted on said support member, said targets rotatable between a vertical and a horizontal orientation;   (c) a rearwardly rotatable reset target mounted on said support member, said reset target having a forward side and a reward side, said reset target being rotatable between a horizontal orientation and a vertical orientation;   (d) a reset bar affixed to said reset target, said reset bar rotatable with said reset target and extending behind each of said plurality of rotatable targets, thereby:
 (i) preventing any of said rotatable targets in said vertical orientation from rotating into a horizontal orientation until said reset target is rotated into a horizontal orientation, and 
 (ii) raising any of said rotatable targets in said horizontal orientation to said vertical orientation when said reset target is rotated from said orientation to said vertical orientation; 
   (e) a reset catcher mounted atop said reset target;   (f) a plug connected by a cord to a rod, said plug being configured:
 (i) to strike and rotate said reset target and any of said targets from a vertical orientation to a horizontal orientation, and 
 (ii) to engage said reset catcher and allow said reset target to be rotated into a vertical orientation thereby. 
   
     
     
         7 . A knockdown game according to  claim 6 , wherein said cord is an elastic cord. 
     
     
         8 . A knockdown game according to  claim 6 , wherein said rod is a paddle. 
     
     
         9 . A knockdown game according to  claim 6 , wherein said reset target further comprises a support post on said reward side of said reset target.