This is purely information that I've gathered on Xcalibur baits take it or leave it, I don't want to start a downward thread!
I know there's PRADCO Outdoor Brands/EBSCO Industries and they play a big role in distribution and probably production, I don't know the in's and outs of that end. EXCEPT after see stock depletion in chains stores, backorders online and talking to 2 different mom and pop owners that have contacted PRADCO after my suspicion and confirmed that they are going away. What "going away" at this stage means this is purely information that has been given to me.
Can someone, in the know, shed any light on this...Or either confirm or deny it, I personally would just like to know for sure.......
I work at an academy sports store and people have completely bought out our Excalibur lures. They informed us that they are discontinuing a LOT of their products. So I'm not sure if they're going out of business or what.
I all but bought why was left at academy today. Seems like the if you can get them or get them on back order they have odd colors. No Rayburn red no chrome blue but had chrome black back....blue shiner...bait foxy Shad...Toledo gold...they had maybe 2-3 each
On 3/14/2015 at 12:16 PM, AllTerrainAngler said:I work at an academy sports store and people have completely bought out our Excalibur lures. They informed us that they are discontinuing a LOT of their products. So I'm not sure if they're going out of business or what.
Xcalibur and Excalibur are two different brands. Xcalibur is far better quality and is sold at various stores including TW. Excalibur is usually the spinoff brand of Heddon lures that are often found very cheap on clearance shelves at sporting goods stores.
Well I hope they don't, I love the 1 knockers and the square bills but one thing I wish is that they would bring back the XT3, in fact they shouldn't have discontinued that bait at all. Maybe they do a YUM and discontinue everything and introduce a new line of stuff or maybe they just don't have any baits, who know but it will be a shame as I too, enjoyed a lot of their stuff and I have a bunch of square bills, one knockers and jerkbaits that get used a lot.
Dicks has a large fresh stock of xcalibur lures. I think they are fine
On 3/14/2015 at 12:27 PM, LApanic said:I all but bought why was left at academy today. Seems like the if you can get them or get them on back order they have odd colors. No Rayburn red no chrome blue but had chrome black back....blue shiner...bait foxy Shad...Toledo gold...they had maybe 2-3 each
We are sold out of almost every color except a few. I have a shoebox full of various colors left then thats the end of them.
On 3/14/2015 at 6:51 PM, Weld said:Xcalibur and Excalibur are two different brands. Xcalibur is far better quality and is sold at various stores including TW. Excalibur is usually the spinoff brand of Heddon lures that are often found very cheap on clearance shelves at sporting goods stores.
The ones we sell here are the Xcalibur.
Who knows with Pradco brands. Heddon, on of their many brands, are notorious for altering/discontinuing colors and patterns. Their Super Spook Jr. FL Bass now has only a white belly when the used to be yellow belly (which is my all time favorite pattern)...so I found 4 on eBay and scooped them up
I love the lipless crankbaits from Xcalibur especially the xr50 and xrk50 (one knocker)...really quality stuff! Prespawn on lake seminole almost REQUIRES an xr50 in Rayburn Red to get the biiig bites. Almost like a wiggle wart on table Rock. And the Zell pop too! I hope there not gone!!!
On 3/14/2015 at 10:28 PM, AllTerrainAngler said:We are sold out of almost every color except a few. I have a shoebox full of various colors left then thats the end of them.
The ones we sell here are the Xcalibur.
That's right the name on all boxes are "Xcalibur hi-tek tackle" they have VMC hooks represented by a "tx3" on the package as well as the VMC logo
On 3/14/2015 at 7:03 PM, smalljaw67 said:Well I hope they don't, I love the 1 knockers and the square bills but one thing I wish is that they would bring back the XT3, in fact they shouldn't have discontinued that bait at all. Maybe they do a YUM and discontinue everything and introduce a new line of stuff or maybe they just don't have any baits, who know but it will be a shame as I too, enjoyed a lot of their stuff and I have a bunch of square bills, one knockers and jerkbaits that get used a lot.
XT3, which bait was that? Another Jerkbait of there's I really like is the xEE4 (edwin Evers erratic Shad)
They are not going away. They are discontinuing a lot of products though like the 75 and 100 lipless baits, etc. Same thing with Bandit. Since Pradco bought them, they are getting rid of the Squarebill and some other unproductive sellers. Just a brand makeover.
The rayburn red was a pretty good color.
On 3/14/2015 at 10:57 PM, AllTerrainAngler said:The rayburn red was a pretty good color.
yes sir! That seems to be the consensus..."was a good color" ...TW doesn't show that color as one they stock anymore, basspro does but both TW and BP say "backordered" on all xr50s. Glad I got me 5-6 last January on sale at Academy...to hold me off lol
On 3/14/2015 at 10:54 PM, CTGalloway21 said:They are not going away. They are discontinuing a lot of products though like the 75 and 100 lipless baits, etc. Same thing with Bandit. Since Pradco bought them, they are getting rid of the Squarebill and some other unproductive sellers. Just a brand makeover.
I can see that for sure, depleting what stock they have for a makeover. Know that you say that the 75s were more plentiful of the 15 or so they had left at Academy. I hope they keep they're squarebills around and the zell pop please! lol
And hopefully not a new/alter color pattern pallette...is see nothing wrong with their colors especially for the lipless baits...so many great ones and different than other brands....like Royal Red, Lemon Lime and Toledo gold
They are no longer making the rayburn red. Its crazy. I have so many colors up here left but none of those. Just craw and toldeo gold
On 3/14/2015 at 11:16 PM, AllTerrainAngler said:They are no longer making the rayburn red. Its crazy. I have so many colors up here left but none of those. Just craw and toldeo gold
I placed an order for 8 more xr50s Rayburns and 3 xrk50 Rayburns through a local tackle store yesterday....they say it went through and was confirmed...if interested in a couple, if they arrive next week, PM me...I'll sell ya a couple
On 3/14/2015 at 11:16 PM, AllTerrainAngler said:They are no longer making the rayburn red. Its crazy. I have so many colors up here left but none of those. Just craw and toldeo gold
That might not matter to some folks, but thats a killer for me to see Rayburn go where I fish...I've even got some Aruku Shad's that are custom painted to match Xcaliburs rayburn red pattern lol
UPDATE!
Just a little info about Xcalibur Baits from a forum I am in...
Jonathan HENRY
I've seen a couple of posts and videos about the scarcity of the Xcalibur Rattlebaits, and I want to clear the air with what truths I can share for you.
It's true, they are hard to find this spring. And it's also true that you will never buy many
more in an Xcalibur package. However, it is very untrue that you will never see this bait again, and it's false that one of the largest tackle companies in the world has cut them from production, actually I know some are being poured right this minute. I can't share more with you at this time, but you are about to see this bait again very soon, in a whole bunch of new colors that I have seen with my own eyes and trust me they are worth the wait!
Booyah Baits,YUM,Bomber Lures
Xcalibur, Excalibur can someone actually get it right and post correct information?
On 3/17/2015 at 9:54 AM, jbsoonerfan said:Xcalibur, Excalibur can someone actually get it right and post correct information?
That's copy/paste content there....no need to get to get hostile
On 3/17/2015 at 10:02 AM, LApanic said:That's copy/paste content there....no need to get to get hostile
Not hostile. Just noticed you did spell it different in the same post.
it would be nice to get accurate/correct information on
Xcalibur vs Excalibur
there is a HUGE difference
Lol, déjà vu.
All over again.
Xcalibur is not going anywhere. Neither is YUM. Or Arbogast.
There is obviously some paranoia. There are some Rayburn Red Xcalibur lipless going for some pretty hefty prices on an auction site.
Every spring old stuff goes on clearance to make room for the new stuff. In the wake of that, some stuff gets elevated in value on the used market. I'm not one to spend extra on a notion rooted in nothing more than my confidence. Will there ever be another like the old Keitech Spiders? Probably not, but I'm sure not paying $30 for a bait that was $4 new.
On 3/17/2015 at 11:24 PM, jbsoonerfan said:There is obviously some paranoia. There are some Rayburn Red Xcalibur lipless going for some pretty hefty prices on an auction site.
There is and a lot of Misinformation as well
On 3/17/2015 at 11:54 PM, LApanic said:There is and a lot of Marketing
Misinformationas well
No reseller wou do this, lol!
Geez, maybe I should sell all my squarebills & rattle baits real quick, lol..
On 3/17/2015 at 11:12 PM, bassin is addicting said:it would be nice to get accurate/correct information on
Xcalibur vs Excalibur
there is a HUGE difference
Your right, big difference, but if Im not mistaken, being the OP, the title is..."Xcalibur Hi-Tek Tackle" and also went back and edited the UPDATE post that I copy and pasted and might have really confused people
So is xcalibur leaving? I've been grabbing every single rayburn red lipless I possibly can lol. I love the zpops too but those are even rarer.
The XR50 and XRK50 have both been reintroduced, unfortunately it does not look like the Rayburn Red is being made anymore though. No sign of the Zell Pops yet, which was also one of my favorites.
On 7/1/2015 at 3:48 AM, LApanic said:
No! Why would they do that!?!? Xcalibur Hi-Tek is by and far one of my favorite lure brands for everything from topwater, to Jerkbait, to lippless, to squarebill. What's happening to the rest of their lineup? Will these be the same baits with a different name? Will the price change? Gaaahhhh!!
On 7/1/2015 at 3:48 AM, LApanic said:
darn. 2016.
apparently booyah will be making the zell pops also. got the new issue of Bassmaster today and there was an article on summer fishing tips and it showed a zell pop and said "now known as the booyah boss pop".
Dick's had all their Xcalibur baits on clearance last fall. My son worked there and he put everything they had away and I bought about $250.00 worth of OneKnockers, XR50's, Squarebills and a couple of the Edwin Evers jerk baits (a rare find). Then we went to another close by Dick's and although it was largely picked over, still got a few more of each and they had the Zell Pops. I'm good for another ten years or so. If Booyah is going to sell them, they will probably be a tad less $$$.
On 7/1/2015 at 8:50 AM, CWB said:Dick's had all their Xcalibur baits on clearance last fall. My son worked there and he put everything they had away and I bought about $250.00 worth of OneKnockers, XR50's, Squarebills and a couple of the Edwin Evers jerk baits (a rare find). Then we went to another close by Dick's and although it was largely picked over, still got a few more of each and they had the Zell Pops. I'm good for another ten years or so. If Booyah is going to sell them, they will probably be a tad less $$$.
Is that legal, or ethical? I worked at Wal-Mart in college and putting items back was a big no-no.
Why would it be illegal or unethical. He called me at work and I work 5 minutes away. He asked the dept. manager and he didn't care. Walmart must have a different policy. Don't think you'd find Xcalibur baits at Walmart anyway but who knows.On 7/1/2015 at 8:56 AM, jbsoonerfan said:Is that legal, or ethical? I worked at Wal-Mart in college and putting items back was a big no-no.
On 7/1/2015 at 9:07 AM, CWB said:Why would it be illegal or unethical. He called me at work and I work 5 minutes away. He asked the dept. manager and he didn't care. Walmart must have a different policy. Don't think you'd find Xcalibur baits at Walmart anyway but who knows.
Because when any item goes on sale it isn't fair to the "regular" customer to take advantage of it if the employees are saving the product. Just my opinion though.
It's going to be a long spring without an XRK50 in Rayburn Red.....
^^ tackletrap
Retail employees have been cherry picking since things were for sale.
On 7/1/2015 at 11:34 AM, J Francho said:Retail employees have been cherry picking since things were for sale.
We did it all the time when I worked at Cabela's. There was always stacks of stuff behind the reel counter with Post It notes of who it belonged to. As long as they get their money the store doesn't care.
I bet you that Wally World has employees that hold back stuff from the Ammo Counter. Nowhere else is that picked clean. Nowhere.On 7/1/2015 at 9:12 AM, jbsoonerfan said:Because when any item goes on sale it isn't fair to the "regular" customer to take advantage of it if the employees are saving the product. Just my opinion though.
One man's unethics is another's sour grapes.
Everytime I pass by a dicks sporting goods I go in and scan the stuff to see if there are any of the good colors left. I doubt if booyah carries them they will be made with the same quality. Such a shame
Reading the "Day On the Lake" in this months Bassmaster, and saw Jason Christie was fishing a bait called the Booyah Boss Pop... Maybe a reincarnation of the Zell Pop? I'm guessing that the Xcalibur line of lures is pulling less cash then when first introduced, so they are probably going to re brand and re price the same baits to pull more $$$$
ICast coverage by Bassmaster confirms this. Simply a different name for the same bait. Trying to create a "new bait" w/out actually making a new bait or redesigning an old one.On 7/3/2015 at 1:12 AM, jakob1010 said:Reading the "Day On the Lake" in this months Bassmaster, and saw Jason Christie was fishing a bait called the Booyah Boss Pop... Maybe a reincarnation of the Zell Pop? I'm guessing that the Xcalibur line of lures is pulling less cash then when first introduced, so they are probably going to re brand and re price the same baits to pull more $$$$
But the design will remain the same? Tackle review needs to cut open and compare the old and the new.
On 7/3/2015 at 1:12 AM, jakob1010 said:Reading the "Day On the Lake" in this months Bassmaster, and saw Jason Christie was fishing a bait called the Booyah Boss Pop... Maybe a reincarnation of the Zell Pop? I'm guessing that the Xcalibur line of lures is pulling less cash then when first introduced, so they are probably going to re brand and re price the same baits to pull more $$$$
From an ad on the Bassblaster Daily email. If you click the image it takes you to booyahbaits.com but the literally have 5 lures that they've had forever on the site...thats all. iCast leaks, coverage will tell all!
Here's the leaks/info, just found some...from the bassblaster again!
1. BOOYAH adds Knockers.
> Formerly known as the XCalibur One Knocker and Rattle Bait, these two lures received a makeover prior to joining the BOOYAH family….
> The One Knocker is the proven XCalibur bait with a new look. It features a single tungsten rattle in a sound-intensifying chamber. …the “thump” of the single tungsten rattle allows the One Knocker to stand out and above the rest.
> The Hard Knocker…updated with incredible color patterns. The bait still produces like it did, only better.
> New color patterns were designed by some of the best anglers in the world, including Terry Scroggins, Jason Christie and Alton Jones. Both [baits] are available in three sizes (1/4-, 1/2-, and 3/4-oz) and eight color patterns.
Boss Pop
The new Boss Pop has an egg-shaped face that’s less deep than other chuggers to allow it to skitter across the surface like a panicked baitfish but still chug and spit. Available in two sizes, 2-5/16″ (1/4-oz) and 2-3/4″ (3/8-oz) and eight colors.
I love the xcalibur lipless cranks, bought them in bulk in colors: rayburn red and royal red from DSG a few years ago on sale, I still have three or four in each color. Maybe I'll sell them on ebay, no way, there to valuable.
I'm glad I stocked up on the 1 oz Xcalibur One Knockers a couple of years back as I see that 3/4 oz is the heaviest that they now offer .
Go to www.lurenet.com to see the colors. The Booyah colors for the One Knocker are different from the Xcalibur ones. Xcalibur had Ghost and Pearl Melon that worked really well for me.
lurenet shows the Booyah Hard Knocker and One Knocker going to be made in Rayburn Red
On 7/11/2015 at 2:47 PM, Bluebasser86 said:lurenet shows the Booyah Hard Knocker and One Knocker going to be made in Rayburn Red
Yep, Yep! "I knew it, I knew it" ~takahiro omori lol
The inflated price of online Xclaibur Rayburn Red One-knockers in going down by the minute. It's funny how, it starts as "RAYBURN IS GONE...FOREVER" and the demand shoots through the roof, and bam, nothing changes but the label that Pradco puts on the box.
On 7/11/2015 at 2:42 PM, BASS302 said:Go to www.lurenet.com to see the colors. The Booyah colors for the One Knocker are different from the Xcalibur ones. Xcalibur had Ghost and Pearl Melon that worked really well for me.
ummmm. Pearl Melon, 3rd fav behind rayburn and chrome/black
As long as there is a sexy shad type pattern in happy!On 7/13/2015 at 8:33 AM, LApanic said:ummmm. Pearl Melon, 3rd fav behind rayburn and chrome/black
On 7/13/2015 at 8:37 AM, jakob1010 said:As long as there is a sexy shad type pattern in happy!
Foxy momma and chartreuse foxy momma both I believe.
Twinkie anyone? Er I mean discontinued red lures...