Ice fishing device

Claim 2

An ice fishing device comprising: a hollow body with means for suspending said body in an ice fishing hole with at least a portion of said body below water level, said body having an opening at the bottom and the top into an interior space within the body, a bouyant, movable closure for said bottom opening capable of normally preventing ingress of water into said space when said body portion is submerged, means vertically movable, by means of buoyancy, within said space in response to entry of water through said bottom opening, said vertically movable means being connected through the top opening to indicating means visible above the ice fishing hole at least when there is water in said interior space at a level similar to that outside the body, and a fishing line held axially coiled about said body near the bottom thereof substantially centrically combined with said bottom opening so as to be pulled easily therefrom without the necessity of body rotation, said line being operatively connected to said bottom closure to cause displacement thereof when the line is pulled by a fish, thus allowing water to enter the previously empty interior space of said body, thereby causing the vertically movable means to rise due to its buoyancy so that the indicating means signals that the line has been pulled by a fish.

Claim 3

A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said body is tubular and has said suspension means connected thereto near to a top end of the body.

Claim 4

A device according to claim 2, wherein said bottom closure is a float normally held against said bottom opening partially by the inherent buoyancy of the float, said float being connected to the line to be pulled away from the opening when the line is pulled by a fish.

Claim 5

A device according to claim 1, wherein said body is tubular, and wherein said vertically movable means is a buoyant member occupying a cross-sectional area less than that of the interior space within said body so as to be freely movable therein in response to ingress of water into said space.

Claim 6

A device according to claim 4, wherein said indicating means is connected to said buoyant member by a rod extending upwardly from said buoyant member and passing through a restricted neck opening at the upper end of said body, said indicating means normally resting on the top end of said body until said buoyant member is lifted by ingress of water into the body.

Claim 7

A device according to claim 1, wherein said line is spooled on a bottom end portion of the body.

Claim 8

A device according to claim 1, wherein said suspending means comprises two arms pivotally connected to an upper end portion of the body and movable into an operative position in which the arms project substantially perpendicularly to the body axis for engagement with an ice surface surrounding the ice fishing hole.

Claim 9

A device according to claim 1, wherein said body member is tubular and is formed of resilient material.

Claim 10

An ice fishing device comprising: a hollow; tubular body of at least five inches in length and having a lower end provided with an opening into the interior space thereof, A lower end portion of the body serving as an axial spool means having said opening substantially concentric therewith and a fishing line spooled thereon for easy axial removal, suspension means capable of projecting radially from adjacent an upper end of the body to engage an ice surface surrounding an ice fishing hole and to hold said body with a lower end portion thereof submerged, a float suitable for sealing said opening against ingress of water when the lower end portion of the body is submerged, said float being connected to said line near to an end of the line carrying a fishing hook, A buoyant member freely movable in said body, said member being connected to indicating means visible above the ice fishing hole at least when there is water in said interior space at a level similar to that outside the body, whereby when a fish pulls the line the float is removed from the opening and allows water to flow into said interior space, thereby lifting the buoyant member and lifting said indicating means to show that a fish has taken the hook.

Claim 11

An ice fishing device comprising: a hollow; tubular body of at least five inches in length and having a lower end provided with an opening into the interior space thereof, A lower end portion of the body serving as an axial spool means having said opening substantially concentric therewith and a fishing line spooled thereon for easy axial removal, suspension means capable of projecting radially from adjacent an upper end of the body to engage an ice surface surrounding an ice fishing hole and to hold said body with a lower end portion thereof submerged, a float suitable for sealing said opening against ingress of water when the lower end portion of the body is submerged, said float being connected to said line near to an end of the line carrying a fishing hook, A buoyant member freely movable in said body, said member being connected to indicating means visible above the ice fishing hole at least when there is water in said interior space at a level similar to that outside the body, whereby when a fish pulls the line the float is removed from the opening and allows water to flow into said interior space, thereby lifting the buoyant member and lifting said indicating means to show that a fish has taken the hook.

Claim 12

A device according to claim 9, wherein said buoyant member is connected to said indicating means by a rod projecting through a restricted neck opening at the upper end of the body, said rod being of such length that with the indicating means resting on the top end of the body said buoyant member is suspended near the bottom end of the tubular body, but above the opening.

Claim 13

A device according to claim 9, wherein said body is formed of resilient material and said spool has a smooth outer surface.

Claim 14

A device according to claim 9, wherein said body further comprises a metal weight adjacent the bottom end thereof.

Claim 15

A device according to claim 9, wherein said suspension means comprises two suspension arms extending on opposite sides of the tubular body.

Claim 16

A device according to claim 13, wherein said suspension arms are pivoted so as to be foldable along the tubular body.

Claim 17

An ice fishing device comprising: a hollow body with means for suspending said body in an ice fishing hole with at least a portion of said body below water level, said body having an opening at the bottom and the top into an interior space within the body, a buoyant, movable closure for said bottom opening capable of normally preventing ingress of water into said space when said body portion is submerged, means vertically movable, by means of buoyance, within said space in response to entry of water through said bottom opening, said vertically movable means being connected through the top opening to indicating means visible above the ice fishing hole at least when there is water in said interior space at a level similar to that outside the body, and a fishing line held by said body near the bottom thereof so as to be pulled easily therefrom without the necessity of body rotation, said line being operatively connected to said bottom closure to cause displacement thereof when the line is pulled by a fish, thus allowing water to enter the previously empty interior space of said body and causing the vertically movable means to rise due to its buoyance so that the indicatng means signals that the line has been pulled by a fish, said body being tubular and having said suspension means connected thereto near to a top end of the body, said body having a bottom end portion above and co-axial with the opening in the form of a spool which normally carries most of the length of said line, said spool having a smooth surface to allow the line to pull off easily.

Claim 18

An ice fishing device comprising: a hollow body with means for suspending said body in an ice fishing hole with at least a portion of said body below water level, said body having an opening at the bottom and the top into an interior space within the body, a buoyant, movable closure for said bottom opening capable of normally preventing ingress of water into said space when said body portion is submerged, means vertically movable, by means of buoyance, within said space in response to entry of water through said bottom opening, said vertically movable means being connected through the top opening to indicating means visible above the ice fishing hole at least when there is water in said interior space at a level similar to that outside the body, and a fishing line held by said body near the bottom thereof so as to be pulled easily therefrom without the necessity of body rotation, said line being operatively connected to said bottom closure to cause displacement thereof when the line is pulled by a fish, thus allowing water to enter the previously empty interior space of said body and causing the vertically movable means to rise due to its buoyance so that the indicatng means signals that the line has been pulled by a fish, said body being tubular and having said suspension means connected thereto near to a top end of the body, said body having a bottom end portion above and co-axial with the opening in the form of a spool which normally carries most of the length of said line, said spool having a smooth surface to allow the line to pull off easily.