Abstract: A commonly available five gallon pail is used as the base structure for a fishing accessory container. A compartmented insert is sized to fit in the pail and is supported by a rim which overlies the rim of the pail. A lid, which may be a domed lid hinged to the insert, provides a cover for the insert. This arrangement provides space in the pail below the insert, compartments within the insert, and space above the insert, all of which may be used to convey various accouterments for a fishing expedition.

Abstract: A minnow bucket for containing live bait for fishing comprising a housing closed at both ends and having an access door in one upper side wall of the housing. The minnow bucket is characterized by having a lift plate or basket which may be raised above the normal water level in the bucket by means of an external handle to provide easy access to the bait without discomfort from placing the hand in cold water. The access opening is provided with a door which is linked to the same handle for automatic opening. Latch means are provided for holding the handle in raised position. Preferably the bucket is buoyant by the provision of at least one air-tight chamber associated with the minnow bucket.

Abstract: A buoyant tackle box molded of plastic has a rectangular outer housing and a plurality of inner storage compartments formed by partition walls. A vertical passageway is formed in the center of the housing by the partition walls and communicates with an opening in the bottom wall of the housing. A fish net is mounted on the housing and extends through the vertical passageway and is suspended beneath the housing as it floats in a body of water for securing the caught fish. A pump is removably mounted in one of the compartments for circulating water within the compartments for sustaining live bait temporarily placed in the compartment. A plurality of storage inserts are removably mounted within the storage compartments. One of the inserts contains a lower compartment for holding a frozen coolant for cooling items storage in an upper compartment of the insert.

Abstract: A transportable liner for use in a live well is disclosed, for transporting the catch, such as fish from the live well. The liner is substantially made of a flexible, porous material forming a plurality of adjoining sides and bottom which form an open topped porous enclosure therebetween. A draw string is disposed along the upper portion of the adjoining sides, in a manner to draw the sides together when the draw string is pulled, to enclose the catch within the liner. Releasable retaining apparatus, such as suction cups, hook and eye fasteners or magnets are used to releasably secure the liner to the live well. Weights, or weighted cord, may be secured to the liner in proximity to the bottom of the liner to resist bouyancy of the liner within the live well, when in the presence of an aqueous fluid.

Abstract: A generally boat-shaped fishing accessory comprises an enclosed hull having a live bait compartment and an adjoining insulated compartment for storing food, beverages and other articles. The hinged lid to the insulated compartment comprises a tackle tray with a hinged cover. A pair of longitudinal depending fins provide for stability in the water. A pair of tubular enclosed air chambers extend vertically along the outer stern portion and another pair extend horizontally along the side walls of the hull to keep the device balanced in the water. A pair of tubular rod holders are angularly disposed on each side of the hull to receive and hold fishing rods. Holes are provided for attaching stringers to the floating fishing accessory and for attaching the accessory to the belt loop of the user. The floating fishing accessory allows the user full use of both hands, easy access to live bait and tackle, insulated storage for food, beverages, and other articles, even while the baited hooks are in the water.

Abstract: A utility container configured for use with an open-topped vessel, which container comprises a receptacle having an open top and a closed bottom and is configured to permit the receptacle to be received within the vessel. The container further has a depth-limiting structure for limiting the depth of travel of the receptacle within the vessel. Other features of the container include a lid for providing impermanent closure for the receptacle, partitions for establishing sections within the receptacle, adjustable partitions for defining sections within the receptacle according to a user's choice, and a handle-engagement structure for engaging the handle of a handled-vessel and locking the container with respect to the handled-vessel to form a unitary assembly.

Abstract: A hand-held portable live bait bucket having a flexible bait-receiving net carried by a support member. The live bait can be poured from the bucket into the bait-receiving net and the support member opened to remove the bait.

Abstract: A light-weight, longitudinally extending, bottle-like fishing bait container for live minnows and the like has a body of transparent or see-through wall construction with a neck at one end thereof on which a lid is removably mounted for cleaning-out purposes. The body of the container is adapted to be carried in an endwise-suspended relation on the clothing belt of a fisherman by a flexible connector chain or the like of a clamping assembly, and also to be pulled behind a boat in a lengthwise floating and partially submerged relation. The connector chain is secured to the ring of a centrally positioned mounting boss or post on the lid. The lid has a central bait inserting and removing open portion in a bottom segment thereof, and a side group of water and air circulating holes therein in a balanced, side-positioned relation with respect to said open portion.

Abstract: A bait container is provided in the form of an upwardly opening bucket including a hollow domed cover removably stationarily engagingly supported from and closing the upper end of the bucket. A pivoted bail-type handle is supported from the bucket and swingable between an upstanding position disposed over the upper portion of the domed cover and a generally horizontal position disposed to one side of the cover. The cover is readily removable from the upper end of the bucket when the handle is in the horizontal position and the handle and domed cover include coacting structure for releasably latching the handle in the upstanding position. The handle, when in the upstanding position, serves to latch the cover to the bucket against removal therefrom. One side portion of the domed cover includes an access opening formed therein provided with an openable closure therefor and the interior of the domed cover includes a flotation ring supported therefrom and extending about the access opening.

Abstract: The present invention provides a container assembly for receiving fishing minnows and the like. The assembly comprises an outer bucket, a removeable lid for sealing the bucket, a handle for carrying the bucket and a strainer basket for fitting inside the bucket. The strainer basket has a pair of handle portions which are detachable from one another and which can be moved to an out of the way position for gaining access into the basket.

Abstract: A floating container, specially adapted to hold live bait, which is shaped like a small boat so that it can be pulled behind a fishing vessel without sinking. The container is transparent so that the bait carried therein can be seen and thus attract game fish in the surrounding water. The container is structured to provide proper aeration for the bait, yet allow access to it when needed. Closure doors are positioned to shut independently when the container is being towed.

Abstract: This application discloses a bait box of the type having passive circulation of water or air therethrough in order to provide fresh, oxygenated water for fish or live bait stored therein. A collector and a siphon tube are provided for mounting below the water line of the boat. Additional flexible tubing is coupled thereto in order to guide the flow of water between the tubes and a container. The container includes a plurality of compartments through which the water is circulated. Adjustable inlet and outlet devices are coupled to the flexible tubes for circulating the water throughout the container. An air scoop is also provided for oxygenating the water within the container by inserting air under pressure therein.

Abstract: Latch for releasably holding spring-loaded door of live bait bucket in retracted position wherein the latch member comprises a one-piece molded plastic strip with a release button at one end, a resilient portion at the other end adapted to bear against an inner wall of the bait bucket so as to urge the bottom outwardly, a door-engaging hook, a retraction-limiting protrusion and suitable guide means.

Abstract: A structure is provided which serves as both a fishing creel and a seat. An upright bucket is equipped with a removable padded lid, and a cabinet with drawers extends laterally from either side of the bucket. A fishing pole holder is mounted on the upper surface of the cabinet, and is attached thereto with a screwcap fastening. A fishing pole rack and towel bar are mounted on the side of the cabinet. The bucket is adapted to receive a creel for carrying fish.

Abstract: A perforated basket containing live bait is immersed in a tank of water. Upon selection by the consumer, the basket is lifted clear of the water and gravity causes the bait to fall into and fill a bait receiving pocket. The basket is then lowered leaving a predetermined amount of bait in the bait receiving pocket. At this point the bait receiving pocket is opened thereby dispensing a predetermined amount of live bait into the fisherman's bucket along with a predetermined amount of water.

Abstract: A portable container for fish, in which a ventilating pipe is fitted into a setting hole provided in the top wall of an otherwise sealed container. The ventilating pipe includes top and bottom covers. The ventilating pipe is provided with a small vent at the center of the top cover and with a plurality of small induction holes in the bottom cover. Even if the container is momentarily inclined, the water in the container will not flow out straightly from the small induction holes in the bottom cover to the small vent in the top cover. The side wall of the container can be partially transparent and the top and bottom ends are of double reinforced construction. The setting hole for the ventilating pipe is provided with an annular neck which is of triple layer reinforced construction by turning a skirt back on itself. The container can be fitted into an insulating box, with the container matching the shape of the box, for maintaining the water inside the container at a low temperature.

Abstract: A vessel with means for aerating a liquid therein, and particularly a bait bucket for containing water and live bait and means for replenishing oxygen in the water. The vessel has an upper chamber for containing the liquid, with a vent comprising a small aperture at the bottom of this chamber for allowing the liquid to slowly drip downward into a second closed chamber containing air or other selected gas. As the liquid occupies more of the space in the second chamber, the pressure of the gas in the lower chamber increases until a small quantity of gas escapes through the orifice, forms gas bubbles and rises through the liquid in the upper chamber. This gas flow is intermittent and will continue for many hours.

Abstract: A live minnow bait kit for making accessible a submerged minnow and facilitating its attachment to a fishhook includes a bucket having an internally tapered wall of heat insulating material. The enclosed space within the bucket is divided into upper and lower compartments by means of a horizontally disposed flange projecting radially inward from the internally tapered wall at an elevation between the top and bottom of the bucket. The flange trebly functions as (a) a floor surface of the upper compartment upon which a minnow-handling tongs of the kit may be rested for ready availability; (b) an upper limit stop in the path of a perforated false bottom moving vertically upward through the lower compartment coincident with a swingable opening of a lid hingedly connected to the bucket; and (c) as an upper support for a central guide post upon which the false bottom is slidably mounted.

Abstract: A dipper for minnows has a cup portion in the shape of a cage-like pentahedral prism of transparent plastic material and is fitted with a normally closed flotation-actuated access door on the rear wall. As the door is closed, a partitioning wall mounted thereon moves inwardly and divides the enclosure into a large upper chamber and a small lower chamber. The forward panel and the rear wall of the enclosure each have a set of downwardly directed teeth along their respective lower and adjacent margins to facilitate fastening a minnow confined within the lower chamber on a fishhook, the forward panel being swingably movable to permit the hooked minnow to be removed therefrom.

Abstract: The salesperson sets a predetermining counter on the amount required. The minnows are then placed in the separating tank where they are moved through two funnels at each end of the tank via water force on and through a sensing area where their presence is registered and thus counted.Movement of the minnows from the separating tank is effected by a combination of whirlpool current and natural habitat effect draw the minnows through clear flexible plastic tubing. The fluid current now confined to one solid stream moves the minnows through the sensor area on and to the holding tank. The minnows are caught in a wire mesh strainer basket in the holding tank, which allows the water to continue to circulate through the drain pipe from the holding tank to pump and reservoir tank. The water is then recycled through the pump back to the separator tank.When the counter reaches zero, normally open contacts close, causing the solenoid valve to shut off the flow of water and minnows, also de-energizing the pump.

Abstract: A bait bucket is disclosed having a receptacle for holding live bait and having a combination lid and bait scoop. The lid includes an end portion which projects downwardly into the receptacle when the lid is covering the receptacle and which serves as a bait scoop when the lid is removed from and inserted into the receptacle.

Abstract: A trolling bucket for carrying live bait or the like and adapted to be towed behind a boat comprising a hollow shell, preferably of resilient material with a spring-pressed door normally covering an opening into the interior chamber. Latching means provides for securing the door in an opened position to enable the bucket to be loaded or emptied. Releasing means actuable from the exterior of the shell frees the door from its latching engagement. The releasing means can be a portion of the latching member extending exteriorly of the shell or the door can be released by retracting an extendable handle so that portions of the same slide interiorly of the shell and engage the door.

Abstract: A fish bait box having a chamber therein and an access opening through the top of the box has a bottom wall surface on its exterior whereby it can rest in upright position and slanted wall surfaces whereby it can selectively rest in either of two tilted positions. The chamber receives live bait and a shiftable medium for the bait and tilting of the box causes shifting of the medium from one end of the chamber to the other thereby exposing the bait for easy removal through the opening. The chamber can accommodate bait in the form of worms in a particulate bedding and tilting of the box causes roll-over of the bedding and exposure of the worms for easy removal. In another embodiment of the invention, a porous screen is provided to divide the chamber into two compartments. The chamber can then accommodate bait in the form of minnows in water, and tilting of the box causes water to drain from one compartment into the other compartment, leaving the minnows in the said one compartment exposed for easy removal.

Abstract: A dipper for minnows has a cup portion in the shape of a cage-like pentahedral prism of transparent plastic material and is fitted with a normally closed flotation-actuated access door on the rear wall. The forward panel and the rear wall of the enclosure each have a set of downwardly directed teeth along their respective lower and adjacent margins to facilitate fastening a caught minnow on a fishhook, the forward panel being swingably movable to permit the hooked minnow to be removed from the cup.

Abstract: A live bait bucket of customary double-container arrangement. The inner container is provided with a vertically movable scoop and a hinged lid for closing the access opening in the container. The lid is formed with an elongated slot and a pull rod connected to the scoop projects up through the slot. Abutment means are mounted on the pull rod and slidably engage the underside of the lid so that lifting of the pull rod simultaneously opens the lid. Spring means are provided for automatically closing, and retaining closed, the lid when the pull rod is released.