Floating or sinking live bait container

摘要

A live bait container having at least one air chamber to provide buoyancy. It floats upright when stationary, and it floats on its back side when trolling. There is a strategically placed opening through the back or side wall of the air chamber to selectively allow air or water to enter and be trapped within the chamber. During fishing, air will remain trapped inside of the air chamber; however, when the user wants to store the container below the surface, air can be allowed to escape through the opening in the chamber by simply pushing the container below the water surface with its back side up. Air will escape the chamber to allow the container to submerge. To regain buoyancy, the user removes the container from the water and places it in a generally upright position, and the water will run out as air enters through the air chamber opening.

主权项

1. A container for retaining and transporting live bait comprising: a bait enclosure having
a top wall, a front wall, at least one side wall, a back wall, a bottom wall; an access opening through said front wall, said access opening having an access opening top edge, a normally closed access door (30) fitted to said access opening, said access door having an access door top edge and an access door bottom edge, said access door selectively opening for insertion and removal of live bait, and selectively closing to prevent the escape of live bait through said access opening; at least one external hollow air chamber to be filled with a selected variable combination of air and water to regulate an amount of buoyancy of said container; said air chamber having an air chamber top wall, at least one air chamber side wall, an air chamber bottom wall, an air chamber back wall; said at least one air chamber side wall is attached to said at least one side wall of the bait enclosure; said air chamber back wall comprises an opening positioned near said air chamber bottom wall and passing through said air chamber back wall, said opening being in the range of approximately ⅜ inch to 1¼ inch in diameter, said opening allows a preselected amount of air to be released from said air chamber and allows a preselected amount of water to enter said air chamber to be held therein for regulating proportions of air and water inside of said air chamber to increase or decrease the amount of buoyancy of said container to cause it to selectively float or sink below the water surface, said air chamber being airtight except for said opening whereby said preselected amount of air is released from said air chamber by a user pushing said container below the water surface with said back wall of said bait enclosure and said opening facing upward, whereby said preselected amount of air is reentered by removing said container from the water and placing it in a generally upright position to water to run out through said opening, said air chamber having the capability to maintain said selected variable combination of air and water at all positions of said bait enclosure except when user pushes said bait enclosure below the water surface with said back wall of said bait enclosure and said opening facing upward wherein water can enter said air chamber and except when said bait enclosure is in an upright position out of the water wherein water can exit said air chamber; a weight positioned inside said bait enclosure and near said back wall of said bait enclosure to maintain said container in a generally upright position when floating stationary and in a position with said access door facing generally upward when said container is floating while being towed; an inner container placed inside said bait enclosure, said inner container comprises at least one side wall, an inner container access opening and an inner container lid for separating bait of different sizes or types from that in said bait enclosure, said at least one side wall of the inner container comprises a plurality of inner container holes sufficiently large to for allowing free exchange of water inside of said inner container with outside water, yet small enough to prevent escape of bait from said inner container, said inner container holes being positioned such that said inner container holds water when sitting in a generally upright position; and a tether attached to said inner container through said normally closed access door.