United States Patent (19) 11 Patent Number: 4,516,352

Firmin 45) Date of Patent: May 14, 1985

54) ARTIFICIAL CRAWFISH LURE WITH Rebel 2.
DORSAL AND VENTRAL SEAM Mann Hackleback.
75) Inventor: Herman P. Firmin, Baton Rouge, La. Crawdad 6A XC3 and Crawdad 2A XC7 Bassmaster
Magazine.
73) Assignee: Knight Manufacturing Company, Rebel, adv.
Inc., Tyler, Tex. Mann's Cajun Crawdad, adv.
21 Appl. No.: 490,499 Killer Krawdad, adv.
SnagFroof Soft Craw, adv.
22 Filed: May 2, 1983 Bagley's Crayfish Bassmaster Magazine, adv.
Related U.S. Application Data Primary Examiner-Nicholas P. Godici
Assistant Examiner-Chris McKee
63 Continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 400,296, Jul. 21, 1982. Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Jerry W. Mills; Gregory M.
51) int. Cl............................................... A01K 85/00 Howison; Nina L. Medlock
52 U.S.C. .................................. 43/42.26; 43/42.39; (57) ABSTRACT
43/42.37; D22/27
58) Field of Search ................. 43/42.53, 42.26, 42.24, An artificial crawfish lure. The lure (10) comprises a
43/42.1, 42.37, 42.45; D22/27 resilient body (12) and a hook assembly (14). The resil
(56) References Cited
ient body (12) is shaped and dimensioned to resemble a
crawfish and comprises a head portion (28), a midbody
U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS portion (30) and a cantilevered tail portion (32). The
432,436 7/1890 Pflueger. cantilevered tail portion (32) is an arcuate member ex
994,927 6/1911 Jefferson . tending in a spiral manner, downwardly, inwardly then
1,888,221 11/1932 Coffin . rearwardly of the midbody portion. The tail portion
2,341,999 2/1944 Lennington ........................ 43/42.53 terminates in a fin member (44) which is disposed sub
2,663,964. 12/1953 Martin . stantially perpendicular to the midbody portion. A fab
2,690,026 9/1954 King . rication seam (46) is disposed on the ventral side of the
2,854,779 10/1958 Jackson . head (28), midbody (30) and tail portions (32) and a
3,349,513 10/1967 Jeff . fabrication seam (52) is disposed on the dorsal side of
3,389,490 6/1968 Peters et al. ......................... 43/42.1
3,490,165 1/1970 Thomassin . the head (28), midbody (30) and tail (32) portions. The
3,959,060 5/1976 Jones .................................. 43/42.53 fabrication seams (46) and (52) allow lateral movement
3,964,203 6/1976 Williams, Jr. ...................... 43/42.02 of the tail portion (32). When the lure is pulled back
OTHER PUBLICATIONS
wards through the water, water flowing around the tail
portion imparts an oscillation to the cantilevered fin
Burke Flexo-Products Co. Cat., placed in patent files member, causing the lure to simulate the backward
1 1/4/53. swimming motion of a crawfish.
Injection Mould Design, R. G. W. Pye, 1968, pp.
168-170. 1 Claim, 3 Drawing Figures

W
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U.S. Patent May 14, 1985 4,516,352
 4,516,352
1. 2
FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the artificial crawfish lure
ARTIFICIAL CRAWFISH LURE WITH DORSAL of FIG. 2.
AND VENTRAL SEAM
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
This is a continuation-in-part application of patent 5 Referring now to the Drawings, in which like refer
application Ser. No. 400,296 filed July 21, 1982, still ence characteristics designate like or corresponding
pending. parts throughout all three views, the preferred embodi
TECHNICAL FIELD ment of an artificial crawfish lure forming the present
invention is illustrated in FIGS. 1-3. The artificial lure
This invention relates to the art of fishing, and more 10 10 includes two assemblies, a resilient body 12 and a
particularly to an artificial crawfish lure for attracting hook assembly 14. Resilient body 12 is preferably
and catching fish. formed or molded of a suitable elastomeric material
BACKGROUND ART selected from the thermoplastic polymer family, such
as, for example, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), or what is
Fishing for commercial or sporting purposes is a 15 commonly known as "worm plastic'. The resilient
major industry. To be effective, an artificial lure con body 12 is impaled upon hook assembly 14 by insertion
taining a hook must simulate the appearance of the bait of the hook assembly 14 as illustrated in FIG. 1. When
as closely as possible and exhibit movements which the resilient body is impaled on the hook assembly in
closely resemble the swimming characteristics of the this configuration, the body is best able to simulate the
creature. This is particularly true of creatures such as appearance of a swimming crawfish as the lure is pulled
the crawfish which exhibit a somewhat unusual move backwards through the water.
ment of backwards swimming. Hook assembly 14 comprises a barb or hook 16
Although lures have been designed which simulate formed at one end of a shank 18, the opposite end of
the appearance of a crawfish, these lures fail to simulate shank 18 being secured to a weight member 20. An eye
their movements. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,389,490 25 22 Secured to the end of shank 18 adjacent weight mem
to Peters discloses a crawfish lure formed of thermal ber 20 is dimensioned to threadedly secure a length of
plastic in which the legs or paws are designed to move flexible fishing line 24. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the
so as to simulate motion. As the lure is pulled through lure 10 simulates the crawfish's backward swimming
the water, the body may oscillate, but the tail does not motion when line 24 is pulled backwards in the direc
simulate the swimming motion of a crawfish. Such a 30 tion of arrow 26 as described below in greater detail.
lure is not effective because many fish recognize their The resilient body member 12 is shaped and dimen
prey according to its motion. In addition, prior lures Sioned to resemble a crawfish and comprises three
have been fabricated utilizing a mold comprised of a top major portions: a head portion 28, a midbody portion 30
and bottom portion. The portions attach together on the and an arcuate tail portion 32. Head portion 28 is frusto
sides thereof, thereby resulting in a lure with a seam on 35 conically shaped and contains a pair of eyes 34 extend
the sides thereof. This side seam restricts lateral move ing from each side thereof and feelers 36 extending
ment to some extent resulting in unlifelike movement. therefrom.
Accordingly, an artificial crawfish lure is needed which The midbody portion 30 extends rearward of head
resembles a crawfish in appearance and which simulates portion 28 and is integral therewith. The thickness of
its backwards swimming motion. 40 midbody portion 30 decreases as the abdomen 40 tapers
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION inwardly toward the tail portion 32. A pair of paws 42
extend downwardly of the midbody portion and out
In accordance with one aspect of the present inven wardly toward the head portion 28. Motion of the mid
tion, an artificial crawfish lure is provided which simu body portion 30 through the water causes paws 42 to
lates the backwards swimming motion of a crawfish 45 oscillate up and down in the X-Z plane and in the X-Y
when the lure is pulled through the water. The lure plane.
comprises an elongated body having the general shape The cantilevered tail portion 32 which is integral
of a crawfish comprising a head portion, a midbody with the midbody portion 30 is an arch shaped member
portion and a cantilevered tail portion terminating in a extending in a spiral manner, downwardly, inwardly
relatively flat fin substantially perpendicular to the mid 50 then rearwardly from the midbody portion 30 to form
body portion. The midbody is disposed rearwardly of an arch with respect to midbody portion 30 approxi
the head portion and the tail portion is disposed down mately 360. Tail portion 32 is continuously tapered
wardly, inwardly then rearwardly of the midbody por inwardly toward the fin 44 which is formed at the termi
tion to form an increasingly tapered arch. The cantilev nus thereof. Fin 44 is relatively flat and substantially
ered arch member acts as a spring member to permit the 55 disposed in the Y-Z plane.
flat fin to oscillate in response to water flowing around The resilient body 12, described above, is formed or
the tail portion as the lure is drawn backwards through molded from an elastomeric material. In most fabrica
the water. tion processes, the mold is normally comprised of two
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS parts to facilitate separation thereof when extracting the
60 lure. This normally results in a seam at the joining of the
A more complete understanding of the invention may two portions of the mold. As best seen in FIGS. 2 and
be had by reference to the following Detailed Descrip 3, this fabrication process results in a dorsal seam 46 and
tion when taken in conjunction with the accompanying seams 48 and 50 on the paws 42. A ventral seam 52 is
Drawings in which: disposed on the ventral portion of the body 12, as
F.G. 1 is a side view of the artificial crawfish lure of 65 shown in FIG. 3, along with seams 49 and 51 on the
the present invention; underside of the paws 42. In fabrication of the body 12,
FIG. 2 is a top view of the artificial crawfish lure of the paws 42 and the feelers 36 are essentially aligned
FIG. 1; and along the excess axis of the seam 46. Although shown
 4,516,352
3 4
separated in FIG. 2, the paws 42 and the feelers 36 and elements without departing from the spirit of the
overlap one another. invention.
Fabrication of the resilient body 12 with the dorsal What is claimed is:
and ventral seams 46 and 52, respectively, results in 1. An artificial lure comprising:
increased freedom in the lateral direction. The seams 5 an elongated body of elastomeric material having
46-52 on the dorsal and ventral portions of the body 12, integral head, midbody and cantilevered tail por
the paws 42, the feelers 36 and the tail 44, add an in tions said midbody portion extending rearwardly
creased amount of rigidity thereto thus decreasing flexi of said head portion and said cantilevered tail por
bility in the plane passing through the seams. By remov tion extending in a spiral manner downwardly,
ing any fabrication seams from the sides of the lure 10, O then inwardly and then rearwardly of said mid
flexibility is maintained in a plane perpendicular to the body portion and continuously tapered therefrom
seams 46 and 52. to form an increasingly tapered arch of approxi
As the lure is drawn through the water with line 24 mately 360 from a longitudinal plane of said mid
moving in the direction of arrow 26, the flow past the body portion;
tail portion 32 of the lure imparts force to the fin mem 15 a ventral fabrication seam formed on the ventral side
ber 44. Fin member 44 is cantilevered from tail portion of said head, midbody and tail portions;
32, which in turn is cantilevered from midbody portion a dorsal seam formed on the dorsal side of said head,
30 to induce pivotal motion in the X-Z plane and to a midbody and tail portions;
lesser extent in the X-Y plane. The resilient tail portion said tail portion having a substantially circular cross
32 thereby acts as a spring, causing fin member 44 to 20 section terminating in a relatively flat fin disposed
oscillate or pivot about its initial position. This motion is Substantially perpendicular to said midbody por
facilitated in the X-Y plane by the lack of seams on the tion with the extreme tip of said fin extending in the
side of the tail portion 44. This wiggling action of the fin rearward direction such that said fin oscillates in
as the lure is pulled backwards in the direction of arrow response to water flowing around said tail portion
26 and simulates the backwards paddling motion of the 25 as said lure is drawn backwards through the water;
crawfish. a pair of paws extending downwardly of said mid
The particular size and configuration of the lure, of body portion and outwardly toward said head por
course, may be varied depending upon particular feed tion an aligned in the same plane as said dorsal and
ing preference of the species of fish sought. The lure 10 ventral fabricating seams;
illustrated in FIGS. 1-2 may also be painted or formed a hook means having a shank and barb formed at one
of material designed to attract fish or may have eyes and end of said shank, said shank extending through
scales painted thereon. said midbody and tail portions such that said barb
Although the preferred embodiment of the present extends above said midbody portion and said shank
invention has been illustrated in the accompanying extends substantially parallel with said midbody
Drawings and described in the foregoing Detailed De 35 portion; and 4.
scription, it will be understood that the invention is not a weight member secured to said shank at the other
limited to the embodiment disclosed but is capable of end thereof.
rearrangement, modification and substitution of parts se ck ck k k

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