About
the Bowtie Family
The next
"BEST IDEA" in fishing floats!
Angler turned inventor
Charles R. Jones is about to realize his dream of producing fishing
floats that will help the enviroment. Jones is interested
in decreasing pollution from lost fishing tackle and in the process
creating jobs in his small rural hometown.
Jones has received multiple
patents based on his new approach in fishing floats. Over
a period of three years and more than 2,000 hours of field testing
he developed over 135 homemade fishing float prototypes that
resulted in a unique product with very different features.
Jones's new patents are
characterized as cylindrical shaped Slip-floats that lie flat
in the water and have the ability to rotate as fish feed or grab
the bait. When reeling in the line the float uses "Facial
Water Resistance" to hold its position while the hook rises
to the float avoiding being dragged through the debris in the
water. This effect is a departure from the traditional
floats that has better visual tracking as well as a reduction
in hook snags. The actual performance of these floats are
based on enviromental conditions and some trial and error may
be required to receive the best results. Suggested rigging
components that are readily available include lighted cylume
sticks, bobber stops, beads, slip weights and hooks.
To understand the development
of these floats one needs to take a step back in time.
During the spring of 1999 Charles was in his boat fishing at
the Greensburg state lake northwest of Greensburg Kansas when
he noticed something behaving erratically in the water.
He pulled closer and found a Mallard duck nearly drowned in the
water. As the duck had been feeding it had become entangled
in a mass of monofilament fishing line. The waves and undercurrents
were repeatedly submersing the duck under the water. Jones
pulled the duck from the water and began cutting it free from
the the mass of tangled fishing line, and as he did he watched
the nearly drowned duck come back to life.
As an avid fisherman for
many years Jones had seen many waterfowl as well as other animals
suffer from fishing line entanglement or from wounds from other
types of lost tackle. After rescuing the duck he began
to think of a way to eliminate the problem of enviromental pollution
due to lost fishing line as well as the lead weights that
went with them. Jones's belief is that the majority of
line breaks occur when the line becomes crimped from fixed bobber
attachments and the line twists or is cut on purpose due to hook
snags, so he began developing a method of fishing to reduce fishing
tackle pollution as well as providing a measure of safety for
the wildlife as well as anglers.
Jones's work has achieved
a float design that will substantially reduce hook snags.
The slip floats he came up with have virtually eliminated
line crimp as well as greatly reducing the frequency of line
cuts due to hook snags. The design of his floats
allow the hook to rise almost vertically therefore avoiding being
pulled through the underwater debris and vegetation. These
floats also rock with the waves keeping your bait moving
and will make dead bait as well as plastic baits seem more lively.
Anglers will then be provided with a more enjoyable fishing experience
with more active responses as well as fewer tackle repairs. Jones's
continued field testing revealed that his floats worked on a
variety of species, lake and enveromental conditions.
Several years have gone
by since Jones started working toward developing his own business.
The Bowtie™ & Corker™ Float Manufacturing Company
was formed in June of 2003 to assist him with producing and commercialization.
Operations consist of assembling, packaging, and distributing
two initial products, the Bowtie Float and the Corker End-Tapered
Float.
Corporate board-of-directors
were chosen specifically for their ability to contribute toward
start-up and operational activities. Several directors
are independant businessmen, while others have extensive experience
in bookkeeping, accounting, payroll, inventory control, customer
relations and sales. Another is a licensed electrician,
safety compliance officer and HVAC technician. Yet another
is an offset press operator with ties to graphic services.
The use of design engineers
for technical assistance has proven helpful in transforming Jones's
home-made prototypes into a bonafide working product. The
use of high quality impact polystyrene has provided a durable
and long-lasting product. Float haves will be assembled
with the use of ultrasonic welding. Special recognition
is given to the Mid-America Manufacturing Technology Center at
Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg Kansas and the Kansas
State University Engineering Department in Manhatten Kansas for
assisting in this process.
 Jones's
path has had its share of delays and obstacles but with perseverance
many more opportunities have emerged for extensive product line
expansion. A marketing study suggests that both the Bowtie™
Float and Corker™ End-Tapered Float as being a viable product
on the marketplace. Caution orange and fluorescent yellow
have been chosen as the initial two-toned colors because of their
visibility qualities, but additional color choices will be available
in the future (see pic).
Acquisition of the local
inactive V.F.W. building in Greensburg has provided ample room
for production line assembly and packaging as well as office
space, supply and inventory storage.
Marketing activities include
Promotional Packets which include product samples, a videodisc
presentation and hard copy support material will be available
to potential retail outlets. The Bowtie™ & Corker™
Floats made their debut at the 2005 Kansas Boat Sport and Travel
Show at the Kansas Coliseum in Wichita February 16th - 20th with
informational material as well as packaged floats for sale.
This experience gained us a wealth of information as well as
great contacts such as Pro-cat.com catfish bait and Ken Freeman
Outdoor Promotions, who we are helping to support his catfish
tournament for disabled children. To learn more about Ken
Freeman's association, please visit www.kenfreemanoutdoorpromotions.com.
Testimonials
and Media Coverage
Available in
our store for $3.69
or you can
Order Now Corker
or Bowtie
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