Abstract: A fishing aid including a fishhook having an eye and a barb respectively positioned at its opposed ends. A rattle is releasably secured to the fishhook. The rattle has a catch that extends from one of its opposed ends with an open-loop portion for grasping the eye of the fishhook. The rattle also has a sharpened point at the other of its opposed ends for easy insertion into a soft, plastic bait.

Abstract: A bait holding device is used to comprises a thin piece of wire having a generally central loop or U-shaped bend, with a small length of free ends of the wire being bent again into a V- or U-shape so as to form a hook-like portion at each of the two ends of the wire. The hook-like portions serve to secure the bait in place with respect to the hook, but do so without themselves damaging the bait. The thin wire may be secured by means of a small ferrule which is formed around both shanks of the wire near the central bend. The bait holding device may be attached to the eye of the fishhook, or may be attached about the shank so that it can freely slide along the shank between the eye and the barb of the hook. The wire used for the bait holding device is much thinner than the wire used to make the fishhook.