Expandable fishing lure

Claim 2

An expandable fishing lure comprising: a flexible body with an interior cavity; resiliently biased means within the cavity for expanding the body when released from a contracted position, the resiliently biased means being a pair of members for pressing against the flexible body on opposite sides of the cavity so the body expands transversely when the resiliently biased means is released from the contracted position, and the members being elongated and pivotally connected together at centers thereof in an X-shaped arrangement so each of the members has one end pressing against each said opposite side of the cavity; and means for securing the resiliently biased means in the contracted position and for releasing the resiliently biased means when a fish strikes the lure so the lure expands.

Claim 3

A lure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the resiliently biased means comprises a spring resiliently biasing the ends of the members against the sides of the cavity.

Claim 4

A lure as claimed in claim 2, wherein the spring comprises a spiral spring having a center coil mounted at the center of one said member and an outside coil connected near one end of another said member.

Claim 5

A lure as claimed in claim 2, wherein the spring comprises a coil spring having one end connected to one said member between the center and one end of the one member and another end connected to another said member between the center and one end of said another member.

Claim 6

A lure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the resiliently biased means further comprises pads on the ends of the members for operatively pressing against the flexible body.

Claim 7

An expandable fishing lure comprising: a flexible body with an interior cavity; resiliently biased means within the cavity for expanding the body when released from a contracted position, the resiliently biased means comprising a pair of members for pressing against the flexible body on opposite sides of the cavity so the body expands transversely when the resiliently biased means is released from the contracted position, the members being generally flat and parallel, the resilient means comprising a coil spring compressed between the members in the contracted position; and means for securing the resiliently biased means in the contracted position and for releasing the resiliently biased means when a fish strikes the lure so the lure expands.

Claim 8

An expandable fishing lure comprising: a flexible body with an interior cavity; resiliently biased means within the cavity for expanding the body when released from a contracted position, the resiliently biased means comprising a pair of members for pressing against the flexible body on opposite sides of the cavity so the body expands transversely when the resiliently biased means is released from the contracted position, the members being generally flat and parallel, the resilient means comprising a coil spring compressed between the members in the contracted position; and means for securing the resiliently biased means in the contracted position and for releasing the resiliently biased means when a fish strikes the lure so the lure expands.

Claim 9

A lure as claimed in claim 6, wherein the means for securing and releasing comprises a pair of loops on each said member, one loop of each said pair being on opposite sides of the coil spring, a bifurcated pin means having two ends, each end of the pin means extending through the loops of both said members on one side of the coil spring, and means for connecting the pin means to a fishing line so the pin means is pulled out of the loops when a fish strikes the lure.

Claim 10

An expandable fishing lure comprising: a flexible body with an interior cavity; resiliently biased means within the cavity for expanding the body when released from a contracted position, the resiliently biased means being a pair of members for pressing against the flexible body on opposite sides of the cavity so the body expands transversely when the resiliently biased means is released from the contracted position; means for securing the resiliently biased means in the contracted position and for releasing the resiliently biased means when a fish strikes the lure so the lure expands, the means for securing and releasing securing the members of the resiliently biased means together in the contracted position, the means for securing and releasing being a loop on each said member of the resiliently biased means, a pin means for extending through the loops of both said members to secure the members in the contracted position, and means for connecting the pin means to a fishing line so the pin means is pulled out of the loops when a fish strikes the lure; and resilient means for biasing the pin means so it extends through the loops.

Claim 11

An expandable fishing lure comprising: a flexible body with an interior cavity; resiliently biased means within the cavity for expanding the body when released from a contracted position, the resiliently biased means being a pair of members for pressing against the flexible body on opposite sides of the cavity so the body expands transversely when the resiliently biased means is released from the contracted position; means for securing the resiliently biased means in the contracted position and for releasing the resiliently biased means when a fish strikes the lure so the lure expands, the means for securing and releasing securing the members of the resiliently biased means together in the contracted position, the means for securing and releasing being a loop on each said member of the resiliently biased means, a pin means for extending through the loops of both said members to secure the members in the contracted position, and means for connecting the pin means to a fishing line so the pin means is pulled out of the loops when a fish strikes the lure; and resilient means for biasing the pin means so it extends through the loops.