|
 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
Jan - Mar
2008
Monday, March
31, 2008 - 7:20 pm - Thanks
to all of you that came in or ordered over the internet this
month. We had another strong month with a nearly 50% increase
in intrenet sales over March of 2007. We are still working on
getting items added to our shopping cart. It's slow going because
of all the activity in the store with spring fishing approaching.
We are still receiving spring orders and will be for the next
several weeks.
The store is
in a bigger mess than usual tonight. We got our two new show
cases in today. They will give us over 50% more display space
for reels than we had before. We've be tight on space because
of our selection. This will let us display our reels a bit better
now so you can see them better. We will also have a special section
for used reels and closeout reels so it will be easy to check
out them out.
If you know
someone looking for one piece rods up to 14 feet long for heavy
duty fishing or snagging, we've got them in casting ans spinning
both.
While we are
on the subject of rods, come by and check out our selection of
St. Croix and Fenwick rods.
Sunday, March
30, 2008 - 1:04 pm - Where
in the world is the sun and "spring" temps? Everyone
is looking forward to them, I'll be glad when they finally make
it. I just hope we don't go from cool to hot without the warm
in between. Alex went out Wednesday night and produced some results
on a Rick Clunn Lucky Craft crankbait. After being out of many
of the colors for a long time, we've finally started receving
them again. These are some of the hottest crankbaits going right
now.
We are still
seeing a number of anglers making their own lures. Many have
started making their own soft plastic lures also. It's not hard
to do. Click here
if you would like to see how to make your own soft plastic lures. The how-to shows an electric
hot plate, but a number of people use an old microwave and glass
measuring cup. If you are interested, swing by and see us. We
have everything you need to get started. We have a great starter kit for
under $30. We have
customers that have made their own molds when one of our dozens
of molds aren't quite what they want. They have a lot of fun,
get the exact colorsand design they want, and save money at the
same time.
Wednesday,
March 26, 2008 - 10:08 am - We have the April issue of Bassmaster Magazine
on sale now along with current issues of a number of other magazines.
Here's a peak at the contents.
FEATURES
A DAY ON THE LAKE WITH BERNIE SCHULTZ. The Day on the Lake segment
is one of the most popular in Bassmaster Magazine, bringing top
Bassmaster Elite Series pros to obscure bodies of water and giving
them seven hours to unlock the secrets. Bassmaster senior writer
Don Wirth logs a trip with Bernie Schultz on a hot, spring day.
Schultz boats more than 23 pounds, finding success with a variety
of lures in sheltered coves.
FLICK SHAKIN':
WACKY REFINED. Another technique that originated in Japan, Flick
Shakin' remains effective even when the fishing is tough. The
technique has been utilized by Bassmaster Elite Series pros and
is effective almost anywhere when adapting to conditions.
TOP 10 LUNKER
HANGOUTS. When looking for the bass of a lifetime, senior writer
Homer Circle provides readers with 10 areas likely to hold big
bass.
MORE INFORMATION
YOU NEED
DESTINATIONS: DOOR COUNTY. A haven for weighty smallmouth bass,
Lake Michigan coves located in Door County, Wis., can yield a
smallmouth experience an angler doesn't forget. The coves, which
receive nominal pressure, yield groups of feeding bass that slam
spinnerbaits and crankbaits. Senior writer Robert Montgomery
reports.
4 STAGES OF
THE SPAWN. Terry Scroggins, a Florida stalwart, has developed
a formula for catching bass during the spawning season. Bassmaster
writer Mark Hicks examines what has made the Florida pro successful
on Florida fisheries during the spawn.
Monday, March
24, 2008 - 8:15 pm - I
hope you all had a good Easter weekend. I finally got a day off
and Deb and I headed for Wichita to meet our son Ben so we could
all eat with our daughter, son-in-law and Grandson James. This
was great, I hope it's the start of a new tradition with us letting
someone else do the cooking for the day.
Alex, Tom and
I kept busy around the store today with customers and some rearranging
of merchandise to make more room. Next Monday we will be bringing
in a couple new show cases so we have more room to display reels.
We will be moving out an eight-foot show case. If you or anyone
you know is looking for a used showcase, this would make someone
a good one. It's a jewelry style case with lights. I'm asking
a couple hundred for it. It will be available for pickup next
Monday afternoon after we get the other showcases installed.
We also received
some serious rods today for snaggers and catfish anglers. They
are all one-piece and range up to 14-feet long. We have them
in casting and spinning. We also received some new crappie rods
from 8-foot to 12-foot.
If you're looking
for the Gulp Alive baits in the pails, we still have a good selection,
but after last Saturday's business, we don't have as many. If
you haven't seen these baits yet, come by and check them out.
Berkley has a real winner with them.
Come by and
see us tomorrow.
Friday, March
21, 2008 - 1:28 pm - We
just received the 2008 Catfish Guide from In-Fisherman and the
April issue of Bassmaster magazine and have both on sale now
along with our selection of other magazines. Make us fishing
newsstand. Hope you're planning to get out this weekend. We've
been busy with people getting ready today.
Line is one
of the items many are buying. It's always a good idea to be sure
you have good line when you go out. We have several new lines
along with our standards. We have the new Stren Blood in 1/4-pound
spools and the new Trilene Fluorocarbon. We also have braided
line and heavy mono lines for the snaggers.
Thursday,
March 20, 2008 -9:07 am - Happy
first day of spring. The calendar says it, now if the weather
will just cooperate we are off and running for some good spring
fishing. Trout anglers don't have long left for the state stocked
areas. Only one or two stockings remain for this season. If you
haven't done it yet or enough, better take advantage of the weather
and get out there. We have what you need, stop by and see us.
Saturday,
March 15, 2008 -9:04 pm - KVD
put together a good day to move into first in the Bassmaster
Elite Series event.
Kansan Brent Chapman brought in one of the heaviest stringers
of the day to move up to 16th place which was good for a nice
check, but not quite enough to get him in the top 12 for the
final day of the tournament.
On the co-angler
side, Brent's dad Ron had a good final day and moved into 14th
on the co-angler side. Preston Frazell, another Kansas co-angler,
ended the tournament in 33rd which added some money to his winning
from yesterday when he and another angler tied for big bass of
the day on the co-angler side.
I don't know
about you, but it makes me feel good when I'm able to read about
Kansans having success in BASS events. We have a number of good
anglers in the state that fish other circuits. If you are one
of them or know one of them that fishes other circuits, encourage
them to submit results to The
Kansas Angler so
more people with hear about that success.
Saturday,
March 15, 2008 -10:44 am - Kelly
Jordan has taken the lead in the Bassmaster
Elite Series event
being held in Florida this weekend. the big news for Kansas is
that co-angler Preston Frazell of Kincaid shared the big bass
purse for the day. It won him $250, half of the daily big bass
purse for co-anglers.
Our St. Croix
rod order arrived Wednesday and we've been busy getting it out.
Stop by and check out the new Legend Tournament and Elite rods.
We also received more of the Gulp alive minnows and leeches.
Come by and
check us out.
Thursdy,
March 13, 2008 -7:43 pm - Kansan
Brent Chapman is in ninth in the Bassmaster Elite Series event
being held in Florida after day one. His dad is in 19th in the
co-angler division. One other Kansan, Preston Frazell of Kincaid,
is fishing the co-angler division also. He's in 51st. You can
read the story and find out who's leading by clicking
here.
Thursday,
March 13, 2008 -6:32 pm - Things
have finally quieted down around the store and I checked my email
and found an interesting story from Oklahoma. it's interesting
on several levels. Oklahoma has started a program for recognizing
record catches in a number of their lakes. It started in February.
This is a program I would like to see Kansas adopt. It's plenty
hard to catch as tate record fish, but many nice fish are caught
every year around Kansas. It would be great to see some people
get recognition for lake records on a formal basis.
The second intesting
thing was a new Kaw Lake record for flathead set a few days ago.
Click
here for that story.
The last thing
I found interesting was that Denny Halgren (many of you know
him from the Kansas Sports, Boat and Travel Show) set a record
for blue cat in February. He had gone to Oklahoma to deliver
some things to Team Catfish headquarters. He told me at the show
that he might do some fishing. I guess he did and has a lake
record to show for it.
Keep your fingers
crossed that the nice weather hangs in with us. Spring is getting
close.
Wednesday,
March 12, 2008 -11:40 am - If
you have an interest in bass tournaments in Kansas, you might
want to attend a Kansas
Wildlife and Parks meeting in Topeka tomorrow night. They will be discussing black
bass tournaments. I don't know the focus of the discussion, but
it would be good to have some tournament anglers and circuit
operators there I would think.
Tuesday,
March 11, 2008 -4:39 pm - This
week is off to a wild and woolly start as snaggers gear up for
season. We've sold out of some of our snagging tackle but have
more on the way. We also have another order of Berkley's new
Gulp Alive minnows and leeches on the way. We should have them
by late this week. We also have an order of St. Croix rods on
the way including the newly redesigned Legend Tournament series
and some Legend Elites. We will also be restocked on the Triumph
and Premier series rods. Also, I want to thank those of you that
visit us over the internet and order from our shopping cart. Our internet sales continue to grow as more people
discover us and tell their friends about us. For those of you
that come in our store, remember we will honor any internet sale
prices if you printout the page and bring it with you.
We've been doing
quite a bit of special ordering for people the last few weeks.
If you need something we don't have, we will do our best to get
it for you.
Sunday, March
9, 2008 - 7:15 pm - They
say the worst day fishing is better than a day of working, but
Missouri's Brian Snowden probably doesn't agree with that
today. After leading the kickoff event in the Bassmaster Elite
Series, he was skunked on the final day and fell out of the lead
after starting the day with a 10-pound lead. "Mike McClelland
of Bella Vista, Ark., came full circle Sunday as he took home
the winner's trophy in the Bassmaster Elite Series' first tournament
of the season, the Sunshine Showdown presented by Advance Auto
Parts on the Harris Chain of Lakes, where his Bassmaster career
started 20 years ago." was the lead in the final day store
for the event. What a bummer for Snowden. Click
here for the full story. McClelland
stayed with Zoom Trick Worms to sew up his victory.
Sunday, March
9, 2008 - 11:36 am - Missouri's
Brian Snowden is leading the Bassmaster Elite Series tournament
being held this weekend as they enter the final day of the event.
Sounds as though soft plastics have been the key to the top spots.
Wednesday,
March 5, 2008 - 12:28 pm - I
understand the walleye were being caught at Kanopolis over the
weekend. We should see that be the case all over as the water
temps increase.
Wednesday,
March 5, 2008 - 11:45 am - I
just received a press release about a Fishing
Information Night being
set for Thursday, March 13 in Wichita. Kansas Wildlife and Parks
will have a number of speakers there to share information and
answer questions. Put it on your calendar and make it out there
if you are in the Wichita area. There is a similar
night in Chanute
tomorrow evening.
Sunday, March
2, 2008 - 3:56 pm - Here
we go again on the weather. It really teased us yesterday and
this morning though. Had a number of people in the store yesterday
that had decided to take advantage of the sunny day even though
it was windy. Haven't heard how any of them did, but I bet they
all enjoyed getting out. This time next week we will have another
hour of daylight added to the evenings. How great is that? The
expanded daylight savings time starts then and runds through
October 26.
I hope to take
advantage of that extra hour next Sunday after I close our Cottonwood
Falls store at
4:00. I'll be driving our old GMC down to Wichita so i can stop
on the way back home Friday night and pickup a two-man water
scamp. When we moved to Cottonwood Falls, we sold one we had
because we planned on using our Skeeter for all our fishing.
After Deb's second knee replacement, we decided to sell it because
she had a difficult time getting in and out of it and didn't
trust herself running the trolling motor. We plan to hit Chase
County state lake in the evenings this year. I'll probably sneak
out early in the mornings as much as I can also.
Thanks to all
of you that came in yesterday on our "Special Saturday"
to talk with everyone. We had a great time.
Saturday,
March 1, 2008 - 11:42 am - You
still have time to get to the store and visit with Guide Mike
Cook , tournament angler Mark Kirkpatrick and lure collector
Bob Wallace today. Wallace has some antique fishing lures on
display including a complete set of Buckeye Bait Bug-n-Bass lures.
The interesting thing about them is that they were made in Council
Grove a half century or so ago. He is also doing free appraisals
on old fishing tackle. Bring in some of your old tackle if you
would like to learn more about it. He has had some interesting
things come in already. One gentleman had an old rod and reel
with a lure tied on it. He said the lure had been in mint condition,
but his grandson had played with it and knocked off some paint.
Wallace said that took the value from around $225 down to a hundred
or so. We've had a lot of people in, come by and see us before
3:00.
Thursday,
February 28, 2008 - 2:13 pm - We are still getting things unboxed from the show.
All the new merchandise will be put out on display while what
remains of the closeout merchandise will be left in boxes while
we get ready for our "Special Saturday" on day after
tomorrow. We will have Guide Mike Cook , tournament angler Mark
Kirkpatrick and lure collector Bob Wallace in the store from
11-4. Wallace will have some antique fishing lures on display
and also be willing to do some free appraisals on old fishing
tackle. Bring in some of your old tackle if you would like to
learn more about it.
One of the new
items of merchandise we will be stocking is the Team Catfish
line of products. They have a dip bait that promises to make
its mark in catfishing this year. We also have their fish gripper
which many of you saw on TV a while back. We also have their
other products including what I think is one of the neatest ideas
I've seen in a long time. They have a package of towels that
take very little space, but when one ounce of water is added
to them, they become a full size paper towel. We will have all
of the Team Catfish products online in the near future.
Alex got back
from vacation last Saturday and has been running the store since
I was there on Monday. I've been trying to catch up on things
in Cottonwood Falls these past three days. I'll be back in Wichita
Friday and Saurday. Be sure to come by and see everyone on Saturday.
Sunday, February
24, 2008 - 9:52 pm - Hats
off to Kansan Brent Chapman for a 23rd place finish in the Bassmaster
Classic that ended today. Alton Jones maintained his second day
momentum to win the event fishing a Cordell CC Spoon and a prototype
Booyah jig called the Pigskin and another one called AJ's Go-To
Jig." You can read a complete story by clicking
here.
Thanks to all
of you that stopped by our booth at the Kansas Sports, Boat and
Travel Show this weekend and said hi to Ben and me. I also want
to thank Mike Cook, Denny Halgren and Mark Kirkpatrick for their
help with the booth as well as others that helped us set up.
Many of you
were introduced to the Team Catfish bait and accessories during
the show by Cook and Halgren. We will have those items in the
store starting Monday.
Sunday, February
24, 2008 - 8:21 am - Last
chance to visit the Kansas
Sports, Boat and Travel Show is today. It will open at ten and run through
5:00. It was really busy yesterday. Weather should be nice today,
come on out and see us.
Saturday,
February 23,, 2008 - 7:42 am - Day Two of the Kansas
Sports, Boat and Travel Show was quite a day.. Saw quite a few more people
and an number of people I talked with on the first day were back
for another day. I bet I'll even see some of them again today
and tomorrow. The show is that type of activity. It gives everyone
a chance to dust off the cabin fever and start the juices flowing
for the coming year of fishing.
We did almost
three times as much in sales yesterday as we did on Friday last
year. The biggest things people took advantage of were the Berkly
Frenzy hard baits and the new Gulp Alive in the pails. We have
a special promotion going on the Frenzys. They are a buy one
and get one free. We had people stocking up for bass and walleye
fishing with them. The Gulp Alive is regularly priced, but it
has been in short supply as Berkley works to keep up with the
demand.
Another of our
popular items was the outdoor themed merchandise we brought down
from our Cottonwod Falls store. We are doing special show pricing
on it also with a 50% discount. We bought too much for Christmas
sales and we are discounting it to sell down to our normal spring
and summer inventory levels.
We also have
quite a selection of other items we are closing out from the
bass shop. They are all buy one, get one free.
I also want
to give a big thanks to all of you that used the two for one
coupon from the Kansas Angler to buy your tickets for the Show.
It lets them know how many of you read The Angler.
Come on out
today or tomorrow and say hi. You don't need to buy anything,
although it wouldn't disappoint me, it will just be great to
see you. While you're there, ask for one of our discount coupons
for the store. It will save you 10% on your purchase at the bass
shop through close of business on March 1.
We will have
Guide Mike Cook, tournament angler Mark Kirkpatrick and lure
collector Bob Wallace in the store from 11-4. Wallace will have
some antique fishing lures on display and also be willing to
do some free appraisals on old fishing tackle. Bring in some
of your old tackle if you would like to learn more about it.
Friday, February
22, 2008 - 8:43 am - Day
one of the Kansas
Sports, Boat and Travel Show is history now. The cold temps and threat of bad
roads may have kept some people home, but it seemed like a pretty
typical first day to me. I got to see a number of customers and
met some new folks. Local guide Mike Cook is doing seminars for
the show this year on how to fish for a number of species. He's
known as a catfish guide, but his presentation covers other species
as well. Be sure to see his seminar when you are there. If you
plan on going today, be sure to use the coupon from the Kansas
Angler or print off the coupon from the link above this entry.
It will save you $8 on two adult admissions. The stow runs from
noon until nine today. Tomorrow, doors open at 10:00 am and close
at 8:30 pm. The hours are 10:00 am - 5:00 pm on Sunday. If you
wait until Sunday, be sure to get there early. Don't wait until
late afternoon, you may miss something.
Stop by and
see me while you are there.
Wednesday,
February 20, 2008 - 5:00 pm - What a wild day. We got the booth built for the
Kansas Sports Show this morning and I came back to the store
to load up merchandise. Boy was I mistaken. I've been here since
2:00 and don't have a thing loaded, but I think I'm getting closer
to getting started on it. We've been busy today with people coming
in to get copies of The Kansas Angler so they can take advantage
of the 2 for 1 coupon. We received permission today to put the
coupon online for people to print out.
Just click on
the link above and print it out. It will save you $8 on two adult
tickets Thursday and Friday. While you're there, be sure to stop
by and see all the 2 for 1 sale items we have. That's 50% off.
Monday, February
18, 2008 - 7:32 am - Wanted
to let you know about something new we just received. It's not
fishing tackle, but it's something I think anglers will enjoy.
We've had it in our Cottonwood
Falls store for
about two months now and people have liked it. I first learned
about it in an article in the Wichita Eagle. It's a line of food
products from Sweet Bottom Products out of Derby. Their signature
product is Pickled Hot Links, but they have much more than that.
Be sure to stop by and check out their other pickled products,
dry rubs, salsa and peanut brittle.
Only three days
until the Kansas
Sports, Boat and Travel Show starts. We will be busy this week getting ready
for it, so please excuse the stacks of boxes of merchandise setting
all over the store. Remember to pick up a copy of the Kansas
Angler to get the discount coupon good Thursday and Friday. Mike
Cook of Four Lakes Guide said he received his in the mail Saturday.
If you live out of Wichita, you will probably get yours Tuesday
if you are on the mailing list. If you don't receive one in the
mail and would like to receive one next year, send me your name and
address.
Saturday,
February 16, 2008 - 10:04 am - As we continue the roller coaster of weather, the
Kansas
Sports, Boat and Travel Show draws nearer. If you plan on attending and you
don't receive The Kansas Angler in the mail, stop by the store
and pick up the Spring 2008 issue before you head to the show.
It has a discount coupon for the show good for $8 off on two
adult admissions during the first two days of the show. They
are not good on Saturday or Sunday. That's like a two-for-one
since adult admissions are $8. We are still packing for the show.
As a matter of fact, we will be packing more that we first anticiapated.
We had an opportunity to enlarge our space this year. We will
be in the same location as last year, but with an additional
space. We've been making special buys and selecting items from
our store that we will be offering with two-for-one pricing.
That's a 50% discount. When you buy one item, you get another
item of the same or lesser value free. This will be a great time
to stock up. There will be many one-of-a-kind items so be sure
to stop by early for the best selection.
Looking past
the show, put Saturday, March 1 on your calendar. We will have
Guide Mike Cook , tournament angler Mark Kirkpatrick and lure
collector Bob Wallace in the store from 11-4. Wallace will have
some antique fishing lures on display and also be willing to
do some free appraisals on old fishing tackle. Bring in some
of your old tackle if you would like to learn more about it.
Saturday,
February 9, 2008 - 3:48 pm - Another wild week at the bass shop. A lot of anglers
are getting ready for the season by replacing skirts, rattles
and hooks on their jigs, spinner baits and crank baits. Many
others are making their own lures. Do-It has a number of new
jig molds that have been popular. Most of the new molds are designed
for higher quality hooks than the older molds. We stock all the
hooks and everything else you need to make your own jigs, spinnerbaits,
buzz baits and other baits.
If you need
some help getting started in lure building, we can help you get
started. Just stop by and see us. The Kansas Angler will be in
the mail in less than a week. If you don't receive a copy stop
by the store and pick one up. It will have a great coupon for
the Kansas
Sports, Boat and Travel Show. It will save you $8.00 on two adult admissions.
That's like paying for one person and another person getting
in free. This is the best coupon they've offered in several years.
I don't know if they will have the same coupon anywhere else,
but if the do, be sure to use the one in the Angler so they know
the money they paid for the add was money well spent.
We've been packing
merchandise for the show. We will have some very good pricing
at the show like we did last year. I'll tell you more when it's
closer to show time.
Tuesday,
February 5, 2008 - 7:00 pm - Thanks to all of our customers again for a great
January. For the eighth month in a row, we experienced sales
growth over the same month a year earlier. We just received a
box full of rebate coupons for a number of items from Pure Fishing.
One of the best rebates is a Free Fenwick Jacket with the purchase
of one of the new Fenwick
Elite Series Technique Rods. Special handles were designed for each fishing
application, and the blanks and guides are tuned for maximum
strength and sensitivity. The new Fenwick Elite Tech rods are
great rods for every fishing application. If you haven't been
in yet to check them out, be sure to stop by while we still have
a good selection.
This week will
be a wild one for me as I finish up the Spring Issue of the Kansas
Angler. This marks the 19th year for publishing it. It will be
mailed to about 10,000 of you just before the Kansas
Sports, Boat and Travel Show. We still have some advertising space available
also if you happen to be someone that would like to reach anglers
around the state. Around 80% of the Anglers are mailed to the
Wichita Metropolitan area with the balance going out around the
state. The rates are very reasonable compared to other publications.
With the fact that they are mailed, readership is much better
than publications distributed by only being available at advertisers
places of business. If you would like to learn more, you can
see the rates by clicking
here. You can also
give me a call at 620-273-8100 Wednesday and 316-265-5551 Thursday
and Friday.
Wednesday,
January 30, 2008 - 2:37 pm - The ten days that have elapsed since my last posting
here have been busy ones with the work on our shopping cart and
end of the year bookkeeping and tax chores. I haven't been in
the store since a week ago Monday. I hope to be back on my normal
schedule next week of being in Wichita Monday, Thursday and Friday.
As we ease into
the new year and spring looms around the corner, many of our
customers are anxious for the annual Kansas
Sports Boat and Travel Show.
It will open Thursday, Feb. 21 and run through Sunday, Feb. 24.
This will be the 54th year for the show. It was started in the
mid 50s by a couple of Wichitans and developed into a full-time
business headquartered in Denver. Since last year's show, the
company sold out to a larger company, but the same folks will
be running the Wichita Show.
A great many
things have changed since those early days of the show. I don't
know the exact number of years we've had space at the show, but
it's been a bunch of them. We will have a booth at the show this
year although I'm not sure what we will have in it. I think the
most important thing is for us to be there to let people know
we are alive and kicking. We had a booth last year, but that
was the first time in several years. When Rusty's went out of
business, we stepped up and had 1,000 square feet for several
years. In those days, our booth was as big as our store. It was
fun, but a ton of work. We couldn't have done it without the
help of many of our regular customers that volunteer to help
set up, staff and tear down the booth.
Traditionally,
the show was an opportunity for people to visit with reps from
the various tackle companies and see all the new products. Today,
with the advent of all the fishing shows on TV and the internet,
the show is different. most of the reps are gone. There is not
as many "new" things because word gets out through
the fishing programs and the internet. Manufacturers are constantly
introducing new products all the time, instead on just once a
year. Now the show is a time that people can get out of the house
to combat cabin fever and start their juices flowing for the
upcoming season.
I can't quit
without talking about "new" products and fishing techniques.
Having been around the business since 1953, many of the new products
or techniques amuse me because I've seen the same thing before.
It's kind of like clothing. Styles change and sooner or later
they come back. (Hold on to your bell bottoms and polyester suits.)
The Chatterbait craze (remember them?) was like a reincarnation
of the old Lazy Ike jigs rigged with worms. Just configured a
bit differently. The current swimbait storm is another example.
Excuse me, it seems like plastic shad bodies have been around
for a long time. We first trademarked the Swim Tail® in the
70s. Dad developed it as a lure to be used for jigging or for
swimming. I could go on, but I think you get the picture.
Much of the
demand for products is driven by promotion now. One of the old
marketing adages is "find a need and fill it." Today
I sometimes think it's more "create a need and fill it."
Someone wins a tournament on something and all of a sudden it's
the hottest bait around. Then the manufacturer can't keep up
with the demand. That creates even more demand because of the
frenzy to get hold of the product. Yes people catch fish on the
"hot" baits. But people catch fish on the old tried
and true baits also.
I haven't talked
to any bass lately, so I don't know what their take on all this
is. Perhaps they watch the same TV shows as we do, so they are
excited about biting on the latest thing. Who knows?
Well, I guess
I better get busy on that end of the year paperwork I as talking
about earlier. Bundle up and stay warm. Spring is just around
the corner. Come see us.
Sunday, January
20, 2008 - 6:11 am - It
wasn't a fairy tale finish for Jonathan VanDam in his first BASS
tournament as a pro, but he still took home nearly $20,000 with
a respectable third place finish in the Bassmaster Southern Open
on the St. Johns River. He went into the final day in first place,
but wasn't able to keep up the pace he had the first two days.
A big stringer brought 'Peter T" up to the winner's spot
in the first Bassmaster tournament of the year. Check out the
complete story by clicking
here.
I hope you all
have something to do during this cold weather unless you enjoy
ice fishing. The last few days of cold should have helped restore
the damage done by the warmer weather, but be careful if you
go out. If you need small jigs or other lures, come by and see
us. Right now we have plenty of the small glow (banana) jigs
that are so popular for crappie fishing as well as ice fishing.
Also remember
us for all of your lure making supplies. We just received a new
shipment of Component systems powder paint. We have started buying
it in bulk and packaging it ourselves in order to save you some
money. On the colors we package, you can save about half a buck
a two-ounce container. Come by and see us.
Saturday,
January 19, 2008 - 1:46 pm - The old saying "It runs in the family"
appears to be true for the VanDam family. Kevin VanDam's 19-year-old
nephew Jonathan is in the lead going into the final day of the
Bassmaster Southern Open on the St. Johns River. He jumped into
first from third. He has a two-day total of 40 pounds, 3 ounces.
Not a bad start for his first tournament as a pro. He had experience
as a co-angler last year. Check out the story by clicking
here. While Kevin
is known for spinner baits, Jonathan caught his fish on crankbaits
and dropshotting.
Trout anglers
were catching fish this week at Zoo Park. Choice of baits was
pretty varied. Many were using Power Bait dough in brighter colors
while others were using salmon eggs. Kick 'n Trout and Berkley''s
Trout attractant were popular also.
We are still
making progress on our new shopping cart, but we have a long
way to go before we reach our goal of getting the majority of
the store online. Once we do, local customers can do their shopping
ahead of time and we will have their order waiting on them when
they get to the store. That's still a ways off, but it's one
of our goals. Click
here to check our progress
on our cart.
Tuesday,
January 14, 2008 - 2:03 pm - The shopping cart we've used for many years has
been retired as it went offline a few hours ago. We are still
working on our new one and will continue to as we work to get
as much of our merchandise online as possible. You can see what
we have by clicking
here. If you have
pages from the old shopping cart bookmarked and go to them, you
will be redirected automatically to the new cart.
I would invite
those of you from out of town, or the country for that matter,
to email us if you would like to see us move the items you are
interested in to the top of the list of additions.
Saturday,
January 12, 2008 - 9:21 am - Thanks for the calls and emails yesterday about
our site not being online. We got our first call around 9:30
before we opened. The caller said our site wouldn't come up.
Another caller said he had gone to our site for our address and
the page started to appear and then disappeared. I checked our
other sites and they were all down. I jumped on the phone to
our hosting company and, after being on hold for "the next
available technician" for about half an hour, was told that
they were aware of the problem and the engineers were working
on it.
It was a busy
week with more new merchandise showing up almost every day. Our
big problem is where to put it. We are making room for it and
will continue next week. We are making the hard decisions on
what to not stock any more in order to have space. Once we decide,
I will post it here so you can take advantage of some closeout
specials.
Saturday,
January 5, 2008 - 6:26 am - Mike Cook of Four Lakes Guides has the itch for
a new boat and has decided to sell his 2001 Sea Ark 2072 Bayfisher.
If you're looking for a workhorse of a boat, this might be the
one for you. As many of you know, Mike likes to fish shallow
water much of the time. This boat is great for that which would
also make it a great boat for hunters. It can also handle rough
water. You can get more information on it by clicking here. It's listed on our customer board.
A
couple other boats are posted there also. Many of the boats that have been listed
have been sold and removed. If you have a boat or any other fishing
related item you would like to sell, we will post it for you
free. All we ask is that you let us know when it's sold so we
can remove it from the board.
If you use Power
Bait for your trout fishing, we have plenty right now. We just
received a big order of it. Better get in now and get your favorite
color(s) while we have plenty. I'm guessing the warmer temperatures
predicted for the weekend will get many of you out fishing for
trout.
We're open 9:00
until 5:00 on Saturdays, stop by and see us. We're closed on
Sundays.
Friday, January
4, 2008 - 9:18 am - Fourth
day of the new year already. Hope you enjoyed the holidays as
much as I did. I took a couple of weeks away from the store.
I made it back yesterday after being gone since the Friday before
Christmas. Spent the extra days in our store in Cottonwood Falls.
The internet is such a great thing, I processed orders from there
and faxed things to Alex in Wichita and he shipped them out.
A big thanks to all of our internet customers as well as our
in-store customers. December was up over last December and January
has started out strong.
We continue
to receive new merchandise and struggle with where to put it.
Keep an eye out for us to start closing out some items to make
space. Probably some of our most exciting new merchandise is
from Pure Fishing. We've received some out our order of the new
Fenwick
Elite Series Technique Rods. Special handles were designed for each fishing
application, and the blanks and guides are tuned for maximum
strength and sensitivity. The new Fenwick Elite Tech rods are
great rods for every fishing application. Pure Fishing also introduced
new reels that promise to be popular. Their Revo series was a
hit last year. They had a hard time keeping up with the demand
for them, especially the top of the line Revo STX at $199.99.
This year they introduced three reels for anglers that want great
quality, but at a lowere price. They put together a series of
three "Max"
reels starting
with a five-ball bearing reel at $49.99 and stepping up to a
six-bearing reel at 59.99 and an eight-bearing reel at $79.99.
Click on the link above to learn more about them and then come
into the store and check them out. You would guess them at a
much more expensive reel than the price indicates. I think they
will be well received by anglers looking for great quality at
a competitive price.
If you're one
of our internet customers, you can order them online. We are
still working to get more of our inventory online. We have a
long way to go, but we are making good progress. Click here to
check our progress.
Then bookmark it so you can periodically check back to see what
else has been added. And, as usual, if you don't see what you
need, give us a call at 316-265-5551.
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