2005-10-28 2005-10-4 The first seven patents in the United States of America that pertained to catching a fish, the first being granted in the summer of 1846, were for mechanical fishhooks that were spring activated. These spring-loaded fishhooks were designed to set in the manner of a trap, and to grasp and hold the fish by means of one or more striking hooks when it took the bait, which sometimes resulted in death. 223706 text/html 1.0 EN mechanical fishhooks trap striking hooks bait patents catching a fish spring activated spring-loaded fishhooks hook trotline fish trap spring-loaded hooks Spring-Loaded Fish Hooks spring loaded fishhooks History of Spring Hooks and spring-loaded fishhooks. text