|
 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
Video and instructions
to help prevent the spread of Zebra Mussels
Saturday-March
28, 2009 - 1:35 pm -
Whoa, what a great
spring day. It's so great we are closed today due to the weather.
Weather forced day three of the Bassmaster Elite tournament at
Dardanelle today. That was a double whammy on Kansan Brent Chapman.
Chapman had a bad day yesterday and fell from first after day
one to 27th after day two. With the cancellation of today's fishing,
he won't have a chance to climb back up because tomorrow only
the top 12 anglers will be fishing.
Sorry we had
to close today, we will be there Monday to serve you.
Friday-March
27, 2009 - 5:41 am -
What do you think
about spring so far? I guess mother nature is having one final
winter blast for us. The weather is presenting problems for some
of the early season tournaments. The Bassmaster Elite being held
on Lake Dardanelle had to start late yesterday. I haven't heard
yet how the weather is there. Kansan Brent Chapman didn't let
the late start hurt him. He ended day one in first place. You
can read the story by clicking
here.
In other tournament
news, Stve and Dominic Ortiz of Lawrence finished fourth in the
Joe Bass tournament on Stockton last weekend. Their weight tied
the third place weight, but third place had the largest fish
which is used to break ties. You can read the story by clicking
here.
Stay warm this
weekend and keep your fingers crossed for warmer weather.
Tuesday-March
17, 2009 - 5:41 am - Happy
St. Patrick's Day - When
you get to be my age, different things generate memories. Today
brings back memories from grade school and how much fun it was
pinching people without green. I've put on my green today, have
you?
As most of you
know by now, Wichita's Sportsman's Warehouse is scheduled to
close along with a number of other their other stores to help
the company reduce debt. I understand they had their merchandise
marked down 30% this past weekend. It might be a good time to
visit them and pick up some good bargins. If you are a regular
Sportsman's Warehouse customer and they stocked a fishing product
we don't carry and you can't find anywhere else, stop by and
let us know. If it's something we can get through one of our
distributors, maybe we could add it to our mix of merchandise.
I've been around
the fishing business since my folks started in 1953 and I've
seen a lot of stores come and go during the past 55+ years. In
the late 50s and early 60s, we used to see new bait shops open
every year. They would make it through the spring, the busiest
time of the year, and then close when sales fell off during the
summer. Most of them never made it to the fall and winter when
it was really bad for a bait and tackle store. Our family never
had the sense to quit trying. We just tried to figure out how
to keep the doors open on a business we loved.
Enough of thinking
of the past. Let's look a today. Alex and Tom have both taken
home a new video we have and watched it and they give it a two
thumbs up. The video is "How to Use the Top Ten Bass Lures"
and it lives up to its name as well known anglers spend two hours
helping the viewer learn techniques and applications. The video
is the result of research done by a Troy Showalther, a fellow
Kansan. I won't take the time to tell you about it here, but
you can see more about it by clicking
here to see it
on our shopping cart. You can also read an article about him
and his research by clicking
here. We have it
in the store for $19.95.
We will have
it playing in the store also, stop by and take a peek.
Saturday-March
14, 2009 - 7:26 pm - Tomorrow
is the first day of Kansas' Spoonbill Snagging season, but there's
no need to hurry. We will need more rain and higher temperatures
to get the action started. If you'd like to read a story about
Spoonbill season in Kansas, click
here. If you need
any equipment or supplies for snagging, come check us out. We
stock what you need.
Our spring merchandise
continues to roll in. Stop by and see what's new. Remember, if
you need anything from Bass Pro, we can order it for you and
save you the shipping charges. Same price as catalog.
Saturday-February
28, 2009 - 1:08 pm - Those
of you looking for someplace to fish might find the 2009 Fishing
Atlas produced by the state interesting. It's on line now and
will soon be available at license vendors. You can read the story
by clicking
here.
Anglers will
be hampered a bit this spring and summer at Shawnee state fishing
lake, but it should be worth it for future fishing. The lake
will be lowered so work can be done on the dam. You can read
the story by clicking
here.
As you start
preparing for the new season, maybe you're thinking about a new
rod. St. Croix's Mojo series is a great new technique specific
rods you may be interested in. The pricing is reasonable. Swing
by and check them out. We've also received some of the hot new
Berkley Lightning rods. A modestly priced rod with a serious
look and feel, they've been well received by anglers and already
in short supply., we have some of them also.
Thanks again
to all of our customers, both in-store and over the internet
through our shopping
cart. February
was fantastic month.
Wednesday-February
25, 2009 - 11:31 am - We've
received our spring order for Team Catfish products. You catfish
anglers should stop by and see the new line of hooks they have
this year. We also have more of the Team Catfish hats for sale.
We're approaching the end of another busy month as anglers start
preparing for the new fishing season. A big thanks to all of
our customers for keeping things hopping around the store.
Sunday-February
22, 2009 - 9:57 pm - Skeet
Reese won the Classic today with less than a pound to spare.
Reese won the 2009 Bassmaster Classic today on the Red River
with 54 pounds, 13 ounces, barely beating 2003 Bassmaster Classic
winner Mike Iaconelli of Runnemede, N.J., who had 54 pounds,
2 ounces after a Day Three haul of 20 pounds, 3 ounces. Yesterday's
leader Jami Fralick slipped to 8th place. Read the story by clicking
here.
Saturday-February
21, 2009 - 9:44 pm - Jami
Fralick takes lead in Classic while Kansan Brent Chapman finishes
less than a pound out of the top 25 in 27th. Read the story by
clicking
here.
Friday-February
20, 2009 - 9:44 pm - Boyd
Druckett is leading the Classic while Kansan Brent Chapment is
in 23rd. Read the story by clicking
here.
Friday-February
20, 2009 - 3:44 pm - I
just saw something my dad would get a kick out of if he was still
alive. He fished BASS tournaments in the early days of BASS out
of a 16 or 18-foot semi-V aluminum boat. That was in the days
before bass boats were what they are today. Below is part of
an email I received from BASS today. It seems like if you wait
long enough, everything old is new again.
LAST-MINUTE
WRAP: Steve Kennedy,
a Bassmaster Elite Series pro from Auburn, Ala., plans to use
an 18-foot aluminum rig with a Johnson 88 Special motor aged
20 years in the Classic, a tactic he hopes will help him access
big bass hiding in the stump-filled, shallow backwaters of the
Red River.
One small problem:
the rig was a plain-Jane green, not a colorful wrap like his
fiberglass rig that showcases his major sponsor, Kinami Baits.
Until Thursday, that is.
"I just
got it wrapped this morning," Kennedy said Thursday. "This
is the same rig I took out Wednesday for the practice day. I
used my other (fiberglass) boat the other practice days (Feb.
13-15), and saw a lot of places I'd would have liked to get into,
but I was afraid I'd tear up my boat."
At his request,
his parents towed the aluminum boat from Alabama to Louisiana
. They arrived Tuesday, just in time for Wednesday's one official
practice day.
He said top
speed of the boat is probably 36 mph, but he's not worried about
lagging behind the rest of the field as they race to prime fishing
spots - many of which are likely to be shared by several anglers
at a time.
"I probably
won't lose more than five or six minutes if I run all the way
to the first lock, about 12 miles," he said. "I'll
probably make that up in time getting into the backwaters, so
it won't be a big disadvantage.
"It's something
I won't mind breaking," he said. "And I did find one
place (Wednesday) that might make it worth all the trouble, maybe
not, we'll see."
Friday-February
20, 2009 - 9:39 am - Today
starts the biggest weekend of the year for competitive bass fishing.
The Bassmaster Classic being held on Louisianna's Red River will
be a challenge for the 51 anglers as they encounter low water,
cool temperatures and wind. You can read the final article leading
up to the Classic by clicking here. Here in Wichita, the Kansas
Sports Boat and Travel Show kicked off yesterday. As I mentioned
in an earlier post, we will not be at the show this year. We
will be at the store working to be ready for the new season.
Speaking of
the new season, I wanted to let the catfish anglers know that
Team Catfish has added new products this year and we will have
them in the store as soon as they arrive. They've added a new
line of hooks and some other neat items. Denny Halgren and Mike
Cook will be showing them at the Show this weekend. Stop by their
booth and check them out. Tell them I sent you.
We will also
have Wicked Sticky back in stock very soon. Cat Tracker has narrowed
their line of baits to just Wicked Sticky, Sewer Bait and Blooded.
They've decided to concentrate on their best selling baits in
order to keep up with the demand. They've had a difficult time
keeping Wicked Sticky in stock. As soon as they have it made,
it's out the door and unavailable until more works off. It takes
quite a period of time from start to finish to produce the bait.
Thursday-February
12, 2009 - 11:25 am - We've
had several people ask if we are going to be at the Sports Boat
and Travel Show this year. We don't plan on being there this
year. We've been pretty busy this winter and have decided to
keep our focus on the store and being sure to be as ready as
possible for spring. We hate to miss it, but we don't want to
neglect our customers at the store.
Wednesday-February
11, 2009 - 3:25 pm - If
you're in the market for a used camper, you might check out one
that's been posted on our customer bulletin board. It's an older
one, but with only 66,000 miles. It belongs to a couple in Cottonwood
Falls that bought a newer one and they don't need two. Click here to learn more.
Sunday-February
8, 2009 - 3:16 pm - If
you were in the store early last week needing plastic for making
your own soft plastic baits and weren't able to get any of the
regular formula, we have it back in. Funny story about that.
We were supposed to get a 55-gallon drum of it week before last,
but bad weather in Texas created a problem for us. Alex got a
call from the freight line telling us is would be a day or two
late. When it still hadn't arrive this past Monday, we got on
the phone with the freight line and our supplier. We discovered
it was lost. Finally Tuesday morning we got a call and found
out it have been located in the San Francisco area. It finally
go to us late in the week. If you've never made your own soft
plastic baits, click
here to see how
easy it is. We have everything you need and can answer any questions
you might have about it.
I just finished
posting a few items on Kansas
Angler Online some
of you may be interested in and thought I would share them with
you.
Want to have
a little fun and maybe win a prize? BASS started registration
for their 2009 BASS Fanasty season. If you're not familiar with
it, click here
to check out an article about it.
Do you know
any young ones in grades four through 12 that have some artistic
ability and a knack for words? If you do, you might want to check
out a contest they might want to enter. To enter, young artists
usually create an illustration of their state fish, but artwork
of any official state fish is eligible. Kansas entrants usually
portray the channel catfish. A written composition on its behavior,
habitat, and conservation is also required. Click here
to find out more about it.
When Kansan
Brent Chapmant heads for the 2009 BASS Classic he will be sporting
a new wrap on his boat and truck. Click here
if you would like to read about it. It's a non-fishing wrap from
a family owned business.
On a slightly
different note, the state will be conducting a creel census at
several lakes around the state. Close to Wichita will be Cheney
and McPherson State Lake. They are looking for people to hire
for that activity. If you are interested, check out the state
website for more information. Click here
for a page that has pdf files for those two positions and one
at Leavenworth. You will also find some other job opportunities
wih Wildlife and Parks. You may have to scroll down the page
to see them depending o the browser you use.
Stop in and
see us this week.
Wednesday-February
4, 2009 - 5:02 pm - Thanks
to all of our customers for another great month. In these uncertain
times, we are thankful for the business you do with us, both
in the store and through our shopping cart on the internet. January
sales were significantly above last year's January.
We finally received
an order of the new St. Croix Mojo Bass rods. We've had them
on order for some time, but they've been a hot item and St. Croix
hasn't been able to keep up with the demand. These are some great
technique specific rods for a very reasonable price ($90-$100).
I'm not sure we have received the complete order yet, but we
did get enough of them in the other day to let you see a big
part of the selection of the new series. Stop by and check them
out. We don't have them online yet, but hope to in the near future.
If you are an out-of-town customer, you can give us a call to
find out more about them.
We had a customer
in the store a day or two ago asking about the new float fishing
permit. He was curious about if he had to get a permit for trot
lines and bank lines. I told him I didn't think he did (which
is correct). Today I chatted with a game warden about that and
he confirmed it. The new floating line permit is for float lines
and he emphasized that they could only be used on the designated
lakes during the designated season.
This is a three-year
pilot program that will be running from July 15 through September
15 at Hillsdale, Council Grove, Tuttle Creek, Kanopolis, John
Redmond, Toronto, Wilson and Pomona reservoirs. Complete information
can be found in the 2009 fishing regulations.
Thursday-January
29, 2009 - 6:37 pm - I
just posted a story about the new project the state has going
at the hatchery at Meade. They are working on a project for breeding
bass that will get size quicker. You can read the article by
clicking
here. In the article,
you will find a link to a video about the project. While you
are there, check out the Cast for Kids video. This is a great
program for getting kids involved in fishing and giving them
a taste of competitive fishing.
Saturday-January
24, 2009 - 2:00 pm - Where
did those nice 50s days go. The temps swung back to cold just
when I thought I had discovered something. You know the old rule
about causing rain when you wash your car? I thought I had discovered
another one. During the cold weather earlier this month I ordered
some thermal underwear from Bass Pro. Then when I received it,
the temperature went up. I thought maybe I was on to something,
but I guess not. I better find them and start wearing them. Maybe
that will make the temps go back up. If you don't have any thermal
underwear or you need to replace some that's getting old, you
might want to check out what Bass
Pro has and then
swing by or give us a call to order some. It's the same price
as what you see online and there is no shipping charge..
We're have another
great month, both in the store and on the internet. We want to thank everyone for that. If you haven't
been in for a while, stop by and see us. If you know someone
with computer experience looking for a part time job, I've been
thinking about adding someone to help with processing internet
orders and merchandising. If you know someone, have them give
me a call. I'm in the store every Monday and most Tuesdays this
time of the year. As busy as we've been, I think it would be
a good idea to get someone before spring hits.
If you're thinking
of heading south, like Del (one of our staffers), check your
supplies well in advance so you'll be ready. Del is headed to
Falcon. I'll try to get some pictures from him when he gets back
to share with you.
Tuesday-January
13, 2009 - 5:36 pm - Things
continue to be hopping around the store. Trout and crappie fishing
are going strong (when the water's not hard. If you are a lure
maker, you might be interested in the new molds and other items
from Do-It . Come in and check them out. We just received a new
order of vinyl and powder paint, so we should have all the colors
again.
Those of you
that receive Bass Pro Catalogs through the mail have probably
received your new one by now. There are many new items. Check
them out and give us a call to place your order.
I was able to
get out of the office late yesterday afternoon and work up front.
I got to meet several first time visitors to the store and enjoyed
talking with them. I also got to chat with some of our regulars.
Looks like it will be pretty cold for a while, better stop in
and see us and pick up some things to help you get ready for
next season. it's right around the corner.
Friday-January
2, 2009 - 2:06 pm - My
daughter emailed me and told me I've been slacking on my blog.
It's amazing how fast time flies. I hope you all had some good
holiday time with family and friends. We did. We went to my daughter's
for Christmas and a big feast. Had a good New Year's day. Deb
and i were married 26 years ago yesterday and we celebrated yesterday.
It's pretty practical having an anniversary on January 1. We're
closed on that day so we are able to have a relaxing day and
enjoy ourselves.
We want to thank
all of our customers for a great month in December. I'm not sure
why, but sales were up over December 2007 by over 40%. You all
helped us have a good year too as we beat our sales for 2007
by a nice amount. We appreciate your business and will do our
best to continue to earn it through 2009.
The big activity
at the store now is soft plastic lure making. Alex has been teaching
a number of our customers how to make their own soft plastic
baits and even how to make their own molds. If you've ever thought
about making your own baits, come by and see us. We have everything
you need. Alex is off Mondays, but he will be here Saturday and
the rest of the days next week. Come by and see him for some
pointers in lure making.
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