The invention relates to a method for adjusting the buoyancy of a fishing bobber. The method includes providing a buoyant member and a stem guide configured to receive the buoyant member, mounting the buoyant member to the stem guide and cutting the buoyant member. The buoyant member is made of a material capable of being severed by a cutting device and having first length, a lower end, and an upper end. The stem guide receives the buoyant member and a fishing line with fishing tackle. The buoyant member is cut such that the buoyant member has a second length shorter than the first length. The buoyant member is cut to a second length such that the buoyancy of the buoyant member when cut to a second length is enough to oppose the tendency of the stem guide and fishing tackle to submerse the buoyant member such that a top surface of the cut buoyant member is adjacent to the surface of the water when the stem guide, buoyant member, fishing line and any fishing tackle are placed in the water.

The invention relates to a method for adjusting the buoyancy of a fishing bobber. The method includes providing a buoyant member and a stem guide configured to receive the buoyant member, mounting the buoyant member to the stem guide and cutting the buoyant member. The buoyant member is made of a material capable of being severed by a cutting device and having first length, a lower end, and an upper end. The stem guide receives the buoyant member and a fishing line with fishing tackle. The buoyant member is cut such that the buoyant member has a second length shorter than the first length. The buoyant member is cut to a second length such that the buoyancy of the buoyant member when cut to a second length is enough to oppose the tendency of the stem guide and fishing tackle to submerse the buoyant member such that a top surface of the cut buoyant member is adjacent to the surface of the water when the stem guide, buoyant member, fishing line and any fishing tackle are placed in the water.

Many different types of systems are utilized and tasks are performed in a marine environment. The present invention provides various configurations of castable devices that can be operated and/or controlled for such systems or tasks. One or more castable devices can be integrated with a transducer assembly, such as a phased array, that emits sonar beams and receives sonar returns from the underwater environment. Processing circuitry may receive the sonar returns, process the sonar returns, generate an image, and transmit the image to a display.

A water-activated bobber release device has a housing, a bobber assembly, a spool and a line, a bobbin assembly with a dissolvable tablet, a screw extending through a central hole in the bobber assembly and a center hole in the dissolvable tablet of the bobbin assembly, and a cap with an aperture and a valve between the aperture and the bobbin assembly. The screw engages the bobbin assembly and a threaded fastener to compress a spring. When the device is submerged in a body of water at a certain depth, the pressure opens the valve to allow water to enter. The water dissolves the tablet which collapses the bobbin assembly, and the spring forces the bobber away from the housing. Once released from the housing, the bobber is free to float to the surface of the water allowing for the retrieval of the submerged item attached to the housing.

A powered fishing lure includes a lower body forming a fluidly sealed cavity; a battery carried within the cavity of the lower body; an upper body forming a fluidly sealed interior area; an electric motor carried within the fluidly sealed interior area and conductively coupled to the battery; a propeller positioned outside the upper body and secured to the electric motor via a drive shaft; and a hook secured to the lower body.

A powered fishing lure includes a lower body forming a fluidly sealed cavity; a battery carried within the cavity of the lower body; an upper body forming a fluidly sealed interior area; an electric motor carried within the fluidly sealed interior area and conductively coupled to the battery; a propeller positioned outside the upper body and secured to the electric motor via a drive shaft; and a hook secured to the lower body.

A trolling device for a boat includes a trolling motor and a control mechanism. The control mechanism controls at least one of the speed and the direction of the trolling motor. The control mechanism is configured to receive control instructions from an electronic GPS mapping computer to cause the trolling motor to maintain a controlled drift of the fishing boat with respect to an anchor point, water current rate, water current direction, wind, and/or wave action.

The fishing rod retrieving and salvaging device comprises a balloon, a CO2 cartridge, a valve, an activation sensor, a strobe, a recovery cable, and a housing. The fishing rod retrieving and salvaging device may be coupled to a protected item to prevent the protected item from becoming lost over water. As non-limiting examples, the protected item may be a fishing rod that may be dropped overboard from a boat. The fishing rod retrieving and salvaging device may inflate the balloon if the protected item is exposed to the water so that the protected item is prevented from sinking. In some embodiments, the fishing rod retrieving and salvaging device may attempt to send positional information to a smart phone to aid in locating the protected item.

The fishing rod retrieving and salvaging device comprises a balloon, a CO2 cartridge, a valve, an activation sensor, a strobe, a recovery cable, and a housing. The fishing rod retrieving and salvaging device may be coupled to a protected item to prevent the protected item from becoming lost over water. As non-limiting examples, the protected item may be a fishing rod that may be dropped overboard from a boat. The fishing rod retrieving and salvaging device may inflate the balloon if the protected item is exposed to the water so that the protected item is prevented from sinking. In some embodiments, the fishing rod retrieving and salvaging device may attempt to send positional information to a smart phone to aid in locating the protected item.

A trolling device for a boat includes a trolling motor and a control mechanism. The control mechanism controls at least one of the speed and the direction of the trolling motor. The control mechanism is configured to receive control instructions from an electronic GPS mapping computer to cause the trolling motor to maintain a controlled drift of the fishing boat with respect to an anchor point, water current rate, water current direction, wind, and/or wave action.