Multi-purpose fishing tool

Claim 1

A multi-purpose fishing tool comprising: a pliers including a pair of arms pivotally attached to one another at corresponding central portions and each including a handle portion between said central portion and a proximal end, said pliers further including a pair of opposing clamp heads each extending from said central portion of a corresponding one of said arms, opposite said handle portions, such that pivotal movement of said arms causes said clamp heads to move between an open position and a closed, clamping position, a pair of oppositely disposed, scissor-type cutting blades protruding from a top of one of said clamp heads, each of said clamp heads further including an outer face, an inner face having a gripping surface, and a pair of opposite side faces, a punch seat protruding from a first one of said side faces of a bottom one of said clamp heads, said punch seat including an upper surface adapted to receive an eyelet of a fishing hook supportably thereon, and a vertical bore extending therethrough, a punch cone protruding from a first one of said side faces of an upper one of said clamp heads, said punch cone being generally conically shaped and including a maximum diameter larger than the diameter of the eyelet of the fishing hook and a distal punch top extending downwardly beyond said inner face of said upper clamp head such that when said clamp heads are drawn together to said closed position, said punch tip of said punch cone passes into said bore in said punch seat, thereby causing the fishing hook eyelet positioned on said upper surface of said punch seat, over said bore, to be enlarged as a result of said punch cone passing therethrough into said punch seat, a first and a second shearing block, said first shearing block protruding from a second one of said side faces of said upper clamp head and including a main inner face and a bottom shearing edge, and said second shearing block protruding from a second one of said side faces on said bottom clamp head and including a main inner face and a top shearing edge, and said first shearing block being disposed on said upper clamp head and said second shearing block being disposed on said bottom clamp head such that said main face of said first block and said main face of said second block are disposed in confronting, closely spaced relation to one another, so as to cut a segment of wire or the lip positioned therebetween when said clamp heads are drawn together causing said bottom edge of said first block and said top edge of said second block to pass in close, shearing relation to one another.