Fishing pole holder

Claim 1

A fishing pole tender for automatically and upwardly lifting a fishing pole in response to a tug on the fishing line on said pole comprising in combination: a longitudinal cylindrical tube having a socket formed therein at the foward end thereof for slideably receiving the handle of said fishing pole, said tube having opposing ends cut in rearwardly and upwardly sloping parallel angles so that the first end nearest said fishing pole defines a bottom forwardly extending portion and the second opposing end defines a top rearwardly extending portion; a base of generally upwardly directed channel-shaped configuration for supporting said tube, said base defining a pair of spaced upstanding ears near said second end pivotally supporting said tube intermediate its ends; a ground support spike secured to and extending downwardly from said base, said spike being attached to said base at a point adjacent to and slightly forward of the point of said pivotal connection; a canted washer slideably mounted on said spike, said washer having a hole formed therein on one edge; a coil spring for biasing said tube for upward swinging movement about said pivotal connection and having upper and lower inwardly directed hooks at opposing ends, said lower hook engaging said hole formed in said washer, and said upper hook engaging a hole formed in the top rearwardly extending portion of said tube; a ledge integral with said tube and having a narrow planar surface adjacent the forardly extending portion thereof and in a plane corresponding with the longitudinal axis of said tube; a latch engageable with said ledge for holding said tube in generally parallel relationship with said base in opposition to the bias of said spring thereon, said latch comprising a rearwardly opening semi-circular hook and a downwardly extending shaft integral with the bottom end of said hook, a roller operatively engageable with said ledge and supporting said shaft in a radially extending position from a point on the outer circular surface of said roller, said roller rolling off said ledge in response to a tug on said line engaging hook; a link pivotally mounted at one end to the center of said roller and pivotally mounted at its other end to the forward channel end of said base for swingably supporting said roller and said hook on said base, and a rearwardly and upwardly directed arcuate finger integral with said one end of said link for selective latching engagement with said hook shaft; said roller sliding off said ledge in response to said tug when said finger engages said shaft; and said latch being releasable in response to a tug on the fishing line engaged with said hook whereupon said spring swings said tube upwardly to lift the fishing pole carried thereby.