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 Keeping up with what's
happening
at Zeiner's Bass Shop
Updates from
Wichita's year 'round tackle store
Notes from
Jim Zeiner
Serving anglers since 1953
Saturday-September
29, 2007 - 9:51 am - Time
to kiss this month goodbye and get ready for some October fishing.
Even though the state report says walleye are slow to fair at
Cheney, a customer told me Friday that he had been catching them
along the rip rap on crankbaits.
Wednesday-September
26, 2007 - 3:26 pm - Those
of you that like to fish the Wichita area lakes have one last
chance to get out and fish them right after a stocking of channel
cat. The last stocking will be on September 28, this Friday.
That means this weekend those new fish should be moving around
looking for a place to live and something to eat. Why not go
help them out on the something to eat. Remember us when you need
the bait and supplies for catfish. Sonny's dip bait continues to be our most poplular
catfish bait followed closely by Junnies Wicked Sticky. But we have many other baits
to choose from as well as worms, shrimp, livers, and shad sides.
Better start
dusting off your trout stuff. It won't be long until the state
starts stocking again. Once the schedule is released, I'll let
you know and give you a link to the schedule. The normal season
is October 15-April 15. If you bought a permit after January
1, it will be good through December 31.
Saturday-September
22, 2007 - 4:15 pm - Proving
the secret to fishing is being in the right place at the right
time, an angler trolling at Cheney caught a 37# flathead on a
bass rod with 12# test line using a Shad Rap. He just sent the
Kansas Angler a photo of it. He caught the fish September 1.
Check it out in the Kansas Angler Photo gallery. Click
here to go to the Catfish Photos. Next time you catch a nice fish and snap a photo,
send it in and get it posted on the Kansas Angler Site. Whenever
you go fishing, send in a report to Kansas Angler Online and
let others know what's going on. It doesn't have to be just in
Kansas, the Angler also covers fishing reports from Arkansas,
Colorado, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas. If you
haven't discovered those reports yet, check them out sometime.
Through an agreement with each of the eight states, the state
reports are used and updated frequently. Also, anglers can submit
reports. The reports from Anglers are on pages seperate from
the state reports. So, if you leave the state and fish in one
of our neighboring states you can check the reports before you
leave and you can submit a report when you get home.
I pull out flyfishing
reports and post them on our flyfishing
reports on this site.
Most of the reports are for Missouri and Arkansas. I just looked
at the statistics from last month and discovered that it's the
11th most visted page. I'd like to see more reports from Kansas.
If you're a fly angler, how about sending some reports so people
see that we have people fly fishing in Kansas.
Speaking of
catfsh, which I was before I got sidetracked talking about the
Kansas Angler website, we've received more catfish related tackle.
When it comes to catfishing, I'd be willing to bet we have the
best selection of hooks, sinkers, swivels, line and other catfish
related items you will find in town, or the state for that matter.
Come check out our selection.
Wednesday-September
19, 2007 - 5:21 pm - This
doesn't have anything to do with fishing, but I thought I would
mention it. Maybe you could work it into a weekend fishing trip
in the Cottonwood Falls area. Award winning western music singers
Belinda
Gail and Curly Musgrave
will be doing a concert in Cottonwood Falls on Friday, September
28 at 8:00. Maybe you could start a weekend by attending the
concert and camping at Chase County State Lake or staying at
one of the motels in Chase County if they have any vacancies.
If you have a RV, you might even stay at one of the RV spots
in Swope Park right next to where the concert will be. Then on
Saturday, you could fish the state lake or head for Marion or
Council Grove. Both are pretty close (Council Grove is closest)
and both have state lakes as well as reservoirs. The county around
here is beautiful and the fishing lakes are good. The concert
is a not expensive at all for the quality of entertainment. Tickets
are $8 per person; $15 per couple. For reservations or information,
contact Suzan Barnes at 620-273-6763.
If you make
it up, keep an eye out for Deb and me. We will be there enjoying
the show.
Monday-September
17, 2007 - 5:54 am - Kansan
Brent Chapman slipped to third in the BASS Elite Series tournament
in Florida yesterday, but he still took home $25,000 and most
importantly he accomplished his goal for the tournament by qualifying
for the Classic when he caught his first keeper on day one. That
gave him enough points to qualify. Another Kansan did well at
the tournament also. Michael Neal of Dexter finished 14th on
the co-angler side. He finished 32nd at Lake Champlain in early
July.
Saturday-September
15, 2007 - 7:15 pm - Kansan
Brent Chapman held on to the lead today, the third day of the
BASS Elite Series tournament in Florida. He's around a pound
ahead of the second place person and around five pounds ahead
of the third place angler. It starts again tomorrow when the
field is cut to the top 12 pros. Those top twelve include 1.
Brent Chapman, 2. Ben Matsubu, 3. Glenn Delong, 4. Bill Smith
Jr., 5. Bradley Hallman, 6. Scott Rook, 7. Cliff Pace, 8. James
Niggemeyer, 9. Mike Wurm, 10. Terry Scroggins, 11. Jon Bondy
and 12. Aaron Martens. Click here
to read the complete story and see the standings.
 Saturday-September 15, 2007 - 4:30 am - It's been a good weekend for at
least one Kansas angler. Brent Chapman started it Thursday by
catching his first keeper fish of the BASS Elite Series tournament
in Florida. That fish gave him enough points for a spot in the
Bassmaster Classic. He didn't stop there however, he added more
fish to weigh in a limit and position himself in ninth place.
Yesterday, he did even better. He caught another limit and jumped
into the lead. You can read the story by clicking here.
Another Kansan,
Co-angler Michael Neal of Dexter jumped to 35th place after the
second day with three fish after being skunked on the first day
of the tournament.
It's great to
hear about Kansans doing sell in the major leagues of bass fishing.
We have many good anglers in the state, it's good to see some
of them getting national attention.
If you're reading
this early Saturday morning, remember you still have time to
head to Cheney for the Cheney Lake Association's 2007 fishing tournament. They are awarding prizes for
three categories; walleye, wiper and catfish and you can fish
from the bank or a boat.
I'll be in the
store in Cottonwood Falls today, stop by and say hi if you're in the area.
Chase County State Lake is only a couple miles west and offers some good
fishing. If you're in Wichita or headed there, stop by and see
Alex and the gang at the Bass Shop.
Thursday-September
13, 2007 - 9:57 am - If
you're looking for something to do this weekend, you might want
to head for Cheney and enter the Cheney Lake Association's 2007
fishing tournament. They are awarding prizes for three categories;
walleye, wiper and catfish and you can fish from the bank or
a boat. You can get more information by clicking
here. Come
by and see us today or tomorrow to stock up for you weekend fishing.
Some of you
have been asking why you haven't see my son Ben in the store
and saying you saw his picture in the paper over labor day weekend.
(He's been in the store on his day off from his regular job.)
He's taken a new job in Hutchinson and is spending his day off
working there while he gets his feet on the ground. He is the
new car manager for Laird Noller there. Click here to see the ad. Once he gets settled in to the new position,
he will be back in the store on his days off. He's still helping
on our internet sales in his spare time. If you are in the Hutchinson
area or there for the fair, stop by and say hi to him.
Tuesday-September
11, 2007 - 9:57 am - We
have another boat posted on our customer bulletin board. It is
a 1987
Sea Nymph that's
been kept in a garage and used only as a fishing boat a few times
a year according to the owner. Check it out if you're looking
for a boat of that type.
Saturday-September
8, 2007 - 1:14 pm - It
was bound to happen sooner or later I suppose, Zebra Mussels
have been confirmed at Cheney Reservoir. I just finished posting
it on the Kansas Angler site. You can read the story from the
state by clicking
here.
Saturday-September
8, 2007 - 10:34 am - Fall
fishing. The second season. No matter how you say it, we're getting
into that time of the year that many anglers love. We saw a number
of people this week gearing up for fall fishing. Some shared
with us that they've been too busy to go fishing yet this year,
while others were glad to see the heat of summer start fading
into the more pleasant temperatures of fall. No doubt, we will
have some more hot weather, but it won't be long now until they're
gone.
We received
some photographs of the 1986
Basstracker Deep V-16
that was listed on our customer bulletin board a couple weeks
ago. Remember, if you have something to sell or you're looking
for something, send
it to us and we'll
put it online for you at no charge.
Wednesday-September
5, 2007 - 12:41 pm - Hope
you all had a good Labor Day weekend and had a chance to get
out and catch some fish. It was nice to have the temps down a
bit. One young angler caught a nice wiper at Cheney yesterday
after the weekend crowds were gone from the lake. Check out a
photo of it by clicking
here. Had a busy
day at the store yesterday with people restocking after the weekend
and internet orders. Stop by and see us.
I also received
a short story from Mike Cook of Four Lake Guides about a trip
he took with Ron Smyth, the winner of a drawing we held earlier
this year. You can read about by clicking here.
Saturday-August
25, 2007 - 11:01 am - Cooler
temps are bringing out more anglers. We've received another shipment
of Sonny's and still have a few five gallon pails of it, but
they probably won't last long. If you use a bunch of Sonny's
and want to save some money, better come in and pick up a pail.
Those of you out of driving distance can order it online by clicking
here. We also have
a new item for you catfish anglers that like to fine tune your
dip baits. We have a new additive available in blood, garlic
and a combination of blood and garlic. It comes in hand to give
more body to dip baits that have turned soft in hot weather.
It's available in the store and online by clicking
here.
Wednesday-August
22, 2007 - 4:01 pm - The
10th Annual Kansas BASS Chapter Federation Fishin' for Wishes
Big Bass Tournament is only a few weeks away. Originally scheduled
for August 25, it's been changed to Saturday, September 8 at
Cedar Bluff Reservoir. Ten percent of the $120 (two-angler team)
is being donated to Make-A-Wish Foundation of Kansas. Over the
years the Federation has donated quite a bit of money to Make-A-Wish.
Anglers have also pocketed some good prize money. Based on at
least 125 paid entries, the biggest bass of the day will earn
the winning angler $5,000. There are also three places paid for
the biggest bass weighed in each hour. Those hourly prizes are
$500 for first, $250 for second and $150 for third. There is
also an on site raffle for prizes including a trolling motor,
rods, reels, shirts, hats, batteries, fishing lures, gift certificates
and more. You can learn more and print an entry form by clicking
here.
Tuesday-August
21, 2007 - 3:10 pm - There
are two more postings on our "Customer
Board" . One
is for a 1986
Basstracker Deep V-16
and the other is for an auction
of surplus vehicles
by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife. Remember, if you have
something you would like to sell, send us the info. There is
no charge.
Thursday-August
16, 2007 - 5:21 pm - New
merchandise continues to arrive. We just received some of the
new Lucky Craft Real Skin Pointers 78 & 100. We also received
some special run colors from Zoom in Trick Worms, Brush Hogs
and their Chunks. I don't know if we will be able to get any
more of them, it may be a one shot deal. Stop by and check them
out.
For those of
you looking for the big Red Fins and Pencil Poppers, we just
received a new shipment of them and have some more special run
colors on the way. We should have them in a few days. We've also
received a new order of Mystic Shad baits.
Wednesday-August
15, 2007 - 5:44 pm - We've
added a new section to this website today. The success of it
will depend on you and others. We are offering free advertising
on this website for people wanting to sell boats, campers, trucks
and used fishing equipment. Our first listing is a 2003 Triton
TR-185. You can
also list items you are looking for or fishing related events
you want more people to know about.
We will list
the item on our "Customer Board" page and create an
individual web page just for your item or request. We will even
put photographs on with your listing if you send them to us through
the email. Check out our "Customer
Board" and
submit your items. All we ask is that you let us know when it
is no longer needed to be posted (you sold it or found what you
were looking for).
There is no
charge for this, it's just another service we offer our customers
and other Kansas Anglers. (I'm sorry, but no commercial submissions
please. We will also reserve the right to not list items if we
choose not to.) Tell your friends about it. I'd like to see it
grow into an area people think of when they want to buy or sell
fishing related items.
Tuesday-August
14, 2007 - 2:27 pm - We
received our shipment of the September/October issue of BASSMASTER
magazine yesterday. They are available for sale. Check out the
contents by clicking
here. If you don't
receive BASSMASTER, make us your newsstand of choice.
Saturday-August
11, 2007 - 2:17 pm - You
would think with all the heat, things would be slow around the
store. That's been far from the case. We were really busy the
last two days. Fishing patterns have changed for many of the
people I've talked to. They are fishing early morning, late evening
and some have even gone to "third shift" fishing. One
of our customers is fishing all night and then sleeping during
the day. Sounds like a plan to me, if I could only figure out
how to get the things done during the day while I slept.
I'm in our Cottonwood
Falls store today. My grandson is up here giving me a hand today
and tomorrow. He's even been exposed to some Japanese culture
in the form of Origami. I've been catching up on my emails and
found one from a couple months ago I missed. A customer sent
me a link to a site with a suggestion that I put it on the Kids
Corner on the Kansas Angler website. We checked it out and he
tried his hand at the folding. If you'd like something fun for
your kids (or yourself) to do while you're in front of the air
conditioner, click
here for an Origami
catfish.
Tuesday-August
7, 2007 - 2:30 pm - While
I was filling an order with some of the last Mad Man craws we
had in stock, Alex told me he knew where we had some others stashed.
If you're a Mad Man fan and would like to get some of the last
ones in captivity, we found about three dozen bags of watermelon
seed/red flake in the four-inch. We have a very limited number
of some others still in stock. We try to keep the inventory count
of the remaining stock on our shopping cart. You can see what
we still have by clicking
here. This time
of the year we start seeing people that can't find what they
need at the big box stores because those stores consider fishing
season over. We work to keep our inventory replenished throughout
the year, not just in the spring. Also, if you need those hard-to-find
items, we will do our best to get them for you. Come in and give
us a try.
Saturday-August
4, 2007 - 5:12 pm - Forgot
to mention something in the post below. Laura Heflin from Topeka
Kansas is the ESPN WBT Feature angler of the week on BASS WBT
website. You can check it out by clicking
here.
Saturday-August
4, 2007 - 4:37 pm - The
week is about to end for the Wichita store and it was a good
one. August is starting with a bang. After a quiet day on the
first, the last three days have been really busy. Even with the
hot temperatures, we are seeing a number of people that, for
whatever reason, are just now fishing for the first time this
year. We're also moving into the time of the year people head
for the north on fishing trips. We stock a good assortment of
tackle you will need. My suggestion is to ask what you need for
your destination and then bring your list to the store. We can
help you get ready for the walleye, northerns, musky or whatever
you're going after. If we don't have what you need, we can probably
get it for you.
In my last post,
I talked about the march of the white perch. One of our customers
email me a list of links he put together that you can use to
learn more about the pesky perch. If you're interested, check
them out. His email is shown below.
Jim,
You might direct
anglers to the following resources for information and identification
of white perch:
http://www.kdwp.state.ks.us/news/fishing/aquatic_nuisance_species/aquatic_nuisance_species_list/white_perch
Download the Fish I.D. Poster - Temperate Bass which compares
White Perch to native White Bass.
http://www.kdwp.state.ks.us/news/fishing/fish_id_gallery
For those who want to know even more, the KDWP also listed the
following links:
http://www.seagrant.umn.edu/exotics/wperch.html
http://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/greatlakesfish/whiteperch.html
http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/FactSheet.asp?speciesID=777
http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=355
Sunday-July
29, 2007 - 3:14 pm - The
march of white perch continues. I just posted a story on the
Kansas Angler from the state about the documentation of white
perch at Lake Afton. The state thinks maybe they've been there
for about a year. You can read the complete story by clicking
here.
 Sunday-July 29, 2007 - 2:05 pm
- I guess anglers
don't call boats pretty, but they do get excited about good looks.
Bassmaster Elite Series Pro Keith Phillips of Alabama won the
Hottest Rig Running contest promoted by BASS recently. It was
announced yesterday at the weigh-in for the Bassmaster Memorial
tournament in New York. If you'd like to find out who else had
boat wraps that the over 10,000 voters selected, click
here to read the complete story.
Saturday-July
28, 2007 - 5:21 pm - It
was bound to happen sooner or later, the Largemouth Bass Virus
has made its way to Kansas. It has been confirmed by KDWP at
Crawford State Lake. Farlington Fish Hatchery used Crawford State
Lake for its water supply. Doug Nygren, KDWP fisheries section
chief says the state doesn't plan to move any fish from the hatchery
until testing for the presence of the virus there is completed.
The virus is in 17 other states including Missouri and Oklahoma.
Click
here to read the
complete story.
Those of you
that live in the Topeka area and have kids, grandkids or neighbor
kids might want to think about taking them to a kids' fishing
tourament on August 4. Don't worry if the kids don't have anything
to fish with, it will be furnished if they need it. All the kids
that attend will get a free fishing goodie bag. Think about a
kid you could take. It will make memories for them and for you.
You can get more information by clicking
here.
Tuesday-July
24, 2007 - 3:12 pm - I
didn't have a chance to report back Sunday, but Oklahoma pro
Edwin Evers won the Bassmaster Elite Series event on Lake Erie.
You can read the coverage and see the standings by clicking
here. As we move
deeper into summer bass fishing, it's time to start going deep
in many lakes. That often means deep crankbaits like the Bill
Norman DD22 or 10 and 12-inch worms. We have a good selection
of colors in both. Maybe you like using heavy spinnerbaits. How
about making your own? We have spinnerbait heads as heavy as
one ounce and all types of blades, skirts and everything else
you need to make your own. Besides that, it's fun to catch fish
on something you've made.
Maybe you like
to do your bass fishing in small bodies of water that get a serious
case of moss this time of the year. We have a good selection
of lures for this type of fishing also, including the Bill Norman Weed Walker in two sizes and all five colors
they make. If you would like to order some, they are also on
our shopping cart.
Saturday-July
21, 2007 - 8:20 pm - Oklahoma
pro Edwin Evers has taken the lead in the Bassmaster Elite Series
event on Lake Erie. The tournament will finish tomorrow. Even
though he says smallmouth fishing is a weakness for him, he weighed
in 21 pounds, 4 ounces to overcome the first day leader Paul
Hirosky. Kansan Brent Chapman finished 3st on the pro side while
Ron Chapman placed 26th on the co-angler side. You can read the
coverage and see the standings by clicking
here.
Saturday-July
21, 2007 - 5:32 pm - Most
of you that follow the Bassmaster Elite Series know that the
second day of this weekend's event on Lake Erie was canceled
because of the weather. That puts the pressure on the anglers
that are trying to advance in the standings after the first day.
The full field of 108 was to fish today with the top 12 going
on to tomorrow. The co-angler side was to be determined today.
I haven't heard yet about what happened today.
Speaking of
co-anglers, one of our regular customers, Jack Dixon, fished
as a co-angler at Grand last month. Two ounces more would have
put him in the money. He ended the tournament after day two in
51st place, only one ounce out of a tie for 50th and two ounces
for a clean 50th place finish and a paycheck. After the first
day, he was in 54th with three fish. The second day he weighed
in one more fish than he did on day one, but his total weight
was only one ounce more. You can read the day two story and see
the standings by clicking
here. Only the
top 50 anglers advanced to day three. Robert Heath of Wellsville,
KS missed $50,000 by a little over one pound while two other
Kansans placed on the non-boater side after day three. You can
read that story and see the standing by clicking
here.
If you need
a good reel, you might want to check out the Team
Diawa Advantage 150P
we have for auction on eBay this week. A customer traded in a
number of these reels on Johnny Morris Signature reels. It still
has its box and papers. It was cleaned and lubed by Midwest Tackle
service. They told us it was in "mint" condition. The
last auction we had on one of this model closed at $61 plus $5.95
shipping. If you need a new reel, why not take advantage of this
opportunity to maybe sneak in and buy this reel at a good price.
You can save the shipping charge by picking it up in the store.
Thursday-July
19, 2007 - 7:25 pm - I've
been updating fishing reports for Kansas Angler Online this evening.
Looks like some of the lakes that were hit so hard by heavy rains
are getting back to a better situation. They're going to town
on catfish at Kanopolis in an area people have been chumming.
A customer from Hutch told me today that he had talked to some
people that were limiting out nearly every day.
We've received
another order of the Abu Garcia Revo STX reels. They've been
hard to get on a consistent basis this year. We've had a number
of them on backorder for quite a while, but finally got them.
If you haven't checked this reel out yet, you should. You can
read more about them and/or place an order by clicking here.
Wednesday-July
18, 2007 - 11:42 am - We've
just received our Yamamoto order and the newly redesigned Flappin'
Hogs. This bait made its debut in 2006 and has been improved
for 2008. The redesigned flaps increase motion and vibration
making it even more deadly on bass. This is Yamamoto's bait there's
been so much buzz about. The new design was just released on
the 12th. We received all 13 colors and are working to get them
put up. It wouldn't surprise me if we run out of some of the
colors quickly.
 This
heavy compact bait has great action when Texas or Carolina rigged.
Use it with any jig head or add it to your favorite flippin'
jig and you have a winning fish catching combination! You can
see a list of the 13 colors by clicking here or order online by clicking
here.
Saturday-July
14, 2007 - 10:07 am - Are
you fishing the Wichita area lakes? It seems more and more anglers
are as they want to do some evening fishing. The area offers
an nice selection of lakes stocked by the state. You can read
general type fishing reports (from the state) on Kansas Angler
Online. Click
here to see those
reports. You can also learn more about the lakes by clicking
here.
I just finished
waiting on a customer from Newton in our Cottonwood Falls
store. He and his
wife are fishing Chase County State Lake. He was in need of hooks
and weights. He said his wife wasn't too happy with him. He had
packed everything except hooks and sinkers.
Watch here for
an annoucement of some new baits that were just released on July
12. As soon as we receive them, I'll let you know. I'm betting
they will be a popular addition to the bass angler's arsenal.
Hope you have
a good weekend and catch some fish.
Saturday-July
7, 2007 - 2:29 pm - Lots
of new water to fish at El Dorado. When I went past the lake
on my way home last night, it was a much different lake than
a few months ago it was so low. The rains have brought it up
past normal pool now. If you plan on going anywhere in eastern
Kansas or Missouri, it would be a good idea to check first to
see what the conditions of the lake are. Truman is very high
and has all kinds of logs, etc. floating around. Just had a long
time customer stop by the Cottonwood Falls store and say hi.
He had been in the Wichita store a short time ago and we got
to talking about the Chase County area and Cottonwood Falls.
It's always fun to see people up here enjoying the country.
Tonight is the
annual fireworks display put on by the volunteer fire department.
Before that, the Lions Club is having a hamburger feed and cake
auction to raise money for new playground equipment. There's
also a concert on Broadway in downtown Cottonwood Falls. I'll
close at six and go have a burger and then open back up around
7:30 and hope I sell some pop or something to the concert goers.
The 2008 tackle
season kicks off next week with the annual Trade Show. I won't
be going, but we will start receiving new items before long as
we decide what to order. Remember, if you ever have suggestions
for new items, let us know.
Thursday-July
5, 2007 - 6:09 pm - Hope
you had a good Fourth. We were closed so everyone could enjoy
some time off. We were back at it today and kept plenty busy.
We've had quite a run on the Snack Daddy baits. We're out of
several colors but hope to have more in before long. We also
have another order of the Lake Fork Ring Fry and Baby Ring Fry
on the way.
It's been 54
years this month since my folks opened the original Zeiner's
store, 22 years that Deb and I have had the Bass Shop. We started
with it in July also. We been serving customers over the internet
for eight years now. I'm not sure where the time has gone. It's
been fast and fun. Thanks to all of you that have traded with
us through the years.
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