Thanks for the advice Pete. I feel very confident with my invention which has proven ove the last decade or so to do everything I claim. In what city/state are you located??? If possible would like to talk to you off line to find out more on how to file a patent on your own, "how much" you save doing it your self etc etc.

If push came to shove I could probably come up with the 8 - 10 grand to finalize the patent but the one thing that's keeping me from taking that 1st step is in my research I found that the success rate of those that were able to recoup their investment was very very low.

Has anybody had anybody had any experience on trying to patent a idea or invention. IF so I would love to hear the results.
Having been a bank/shore fisherman for over 30 years I built a "fishing gadget" to eliminate all those "missed hit's" (which were many). I dubbed my invention "Sure Catch" & everyone that has seen it work say's I need to get a patent on it before somebody steals my idea. Over the years I have modified my Sure Catch numerous times to where today it has as close to a 100% catch rate to anything I've seen on the market. The success behind the unit is a spring loaded adjustment that prevents the wind/water current from setting it off. I feel this would be a great fishing tool for kids/seniors who may be slow to react when they get a hit
Prior to looking into patenting my Sure Catch I spent several weeks researching patent company's on the internet & have yet to find one that I feel I can trust with my invention. What I am most leery of is after you submit your invention & pay a "small fee of $200/$500 to have it "evaluated" -- they have your idea & need another $10 to $15,000 to finalize the patent. I would love nothing better than to get this into the hands of the 100's of 1000's of bank/shore fishermen out there but don't have the kind of money it takes to do this. Whether or not you ever tried to patent anything would still appreciate hearing any/all suggestions on what you would do if you had such an invention

There are several ways to clean a cat fish but what has always worked best for me is to drill a hole thru the head of the cat fish so you can nail it to a post or tree. Next rite behind the gills make a cut around the head of the fish just enough to break the skin. With that done clamp onto the skin with a pair of pliers & pull downward. After you get the fish skinned you can filet or what ever.

Bought my Pocket Fisherman at a Gibson's Sporting Goods store in Los Cruses in the late 60's where I 1st started selling my "Sure Catch" automatics.

Has anybody had any experience with a "pocket rod". Been thinking about purchasing one of these & have read good & bad reviews on them. Would appreciate any input from those who might've purchased one of these. Still have & on occasion use my "pocket fishermen" that I purchased in the 60's.

Hello anglers. My name is Bob. Have to thank a old fishing buddy for tuning me onto this fantastic site. I'm a active 83 yr old school fisherman that has been fishing from the banks of rivers & ponds for most of my adult life. While I love to catch anything that'll put up a fight my favorite catch's are the James River (Va)cats one of which I have in my back yard pond that allows me to hand feed him & pet him on the head.