Fishing system

• US 20070220798A1
• Filed: 03/21/2006
• Published: 09/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kent Davidson
• Original Assignee: Kent Davidson
• Inventors: Davidson, Kent
• Granted Patent: US 7,669,360 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 43/4
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 85/01 with light emission, sound emission, scent dispersal or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 85/16 with other than flat, or substantially flat, undulating bodies, e.g. plugs
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 91/20 Line length or depth measuring devices
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 97/00 Accessories for angling fish stringers A01K65/00; landing-nets or landing-spoons for fishing A01K77/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 40/80 in fisheries management

Abstract

An improved fishing system that records ambient conditions existing at or around the time a fish is caught. The fishing system includes a lure which records ambient conditions, including time, date, depth, temperature, ambient light, an underwater picture of a hooked fish and water quality. After catching a fish, the recorded data is transmitted from the lure to a handheld control unit. The handheld control unit is also capable of recording location (via GPS), fish weight, water quality, and an out-of-water picture of the fish. The data stored by the handheld control unit is transmitted (via a wireless or wired network) and recorded in an Internet database. The lure can also be controlled to release a hook that becomes irretrievably stuck in an underwater obstruction. The path of the lure in the water can also be controlled.

Claims

1. A fishing lure comprising:

a lure body; and

an electronic circuit encapsulated in the lure body, wherein the electronic circuit is configured to measure one or more ambient conditions.

2. The fishing lure of claim 1, wherein the electronic circuit comprises a temperature sensor for measuring ambient temperature.

3. The fishing lure of claim 1, wherein the electronic circuit comprises a photosensitive element for measuring ambient light.

4. The fishing lure of claim 1, wherein the electronic circuit comprises a pressure sensor for measuring water depth.

5. The fishing lure of claim 1, wherein the electronic circuit comprises a strain gauge for measuring the force at which a fish strikes the fishing lure.

6. The fishing lure of claim 1, wherein the electronic circuit comprises a clock for identifying the time and/or date.

7. The fishing lure of claim 1, wherein the electronic circuit comprises snag detection circuitry configured to detect that a hook attached to the lure body has become snagged, the fishing lure further comprising a release mechanism configured to release the snagged hook from the body in response to the snag detection circuitry.

8. The fishing lure of claim 1, further comprising a memory for storing the measured ambient conditions.

9. The fishing lure of claim 8, further comprising a communication port for transmitting the measured ambient conditions from the memory to an external device.

10. The fishing lure of claim 1, further comprising:

a rechargeable battery for driving the electronic circuitry, the rechargeable batter being encapsulated with the electronic circuitry; and

means for recharging the rechargeable battery.

11. The fishing lure of claim 10, further comprising a kill switch configured to disconnect the rechargeable battery from the electronic circuitry when the fishing lure is not in use.

12. The fishing lure of claim 1, further comprising an indicator light coupled to the electronic circuitry and visible external to the body, wherein the indicator light identifies a status of the electronic circuitry.

13. The fishing lure of claim 1, wherein the electronic circuit comprises a camera.

14. The fishing lure of claim 1, wherein the electronic circuit comprises an actuator configured to control the path of the fishing lure in water.

16. The fishing lure of claim 1, wherein the electronic circuit comprises memory for storing a unique identifier value used to identify the fishing lure.

17. The fishing lure of claim 1, further comprising a water channel configured to retain a water sample.

18. A fishing system comprising:

a fishing lure having a lure body and an electronic circuit encapsulated in the lure body, wherein the electronic circuit is configured to measure and store data associated with one or more ambient conditions; and

an external device configured to receive the data associated with the one or more ambient conditions stored by the electronic circuit.

19. The fishing system of claim 18, wherein the external device measures and stores one or more additional ambient conditions.

20. The fishing system of claim 19, wherein the one or more additional ambient conditions includes location.

21. The fishing system of claim 19, wherein the one or more additional ambient conditions includes a picture of a fish caught by the fishing lure.

22. The fishing system of claim 19, wherein the one or more addition ambient conditions includes the weight of a fish caught by the fishing lure.

23. The fishing system of claim 19, wherein the one or more additional ambient conditions includes the time the fish was caught.

24. The fishing system of claim 19, wherein the one or more additional ambient conditions includes the condition of the water in which the fish was caught.

25. The fishing system of claim 19, wherein the system further comprises a computer system configured to receive and store the data associated with the one or more ambient conditions from the external device.

26. The fishing system of claim 19, further comprising software for loading the data to an Internet database.

27. The fishing system of claim 18, wherein the external device is portable.

28. The fishing system of claim 18 wherein the electronic circuit comprises:

a communication port on the fishing lure; and

a communications cable connected to the communication port on the fishing lure, wherein the cable terminates at a location away from the fishing lure.