The Trash Lure is customer product specifically designed to snag waterborne trash. The lure is intended for use around marinas and other public water sport locations. The Trash Lure's body is made like any other lure, usually injection molded plastic, but the hook is barbless.

Prototype Test

One Sunday morning at dawn I tested the prototype in a marina in Maryland. The water was still, the boats were very beautiful, and the trash in the water was an abundant eye-sore. Few people are around as I cast out over the water. The Trash Lure floated to the surface and as I reeled it in, it easily hooked the trash items it was drawn across. I transferred the trash to a garbage bag at my waist and cast again. The easiest trash to hook proved to be plastic grocery bags, the hardest are Styrofoam coffee cups. The true skill was in casting the lure exactly where you wanted it, laying the line exactly across the trash item while avoiding all other possible hang ups.

Purposes:

To date, only a test prototypes of the Trash Lure have been few hand-built. The idea is presented here so that it may be developed for a number of purposes:

* Money making project for a conservation group -- Let's sell a card of three or six Trash Lures to raise funds.
* Student design contest -- Let's get students involved in developing good designs for the Trash Lure and supporting equipment. Hand-built plugs have been a focus for American folk art for more than 150 years. The idea can be extended to specialty boat hooks, harpoons, and fishing arrows, too.
* Clean up waterways -- Let's clean out our waterways. It is a soul satisfying waterborne experience to clear a space critical to both people and animals of degrading trash.
Importance

Obtaining extensive sources of clean, health water is one of the great problems of the 21st century. Making a personal effort to make this happen gives an individual the feeling of being part of the solution and a friend of the Earth.

For more information see:

Trash Lure