Rayburn Red

[bobv]

Can someone post a picture of a bait painted Rayburn red? A bunch of us are heading down to Lake Ray Roberts in 10 days and I've been commissioned to paint some 3/4oz traps for the trip. I've looked in some of the catalogs but the pictures aren't big enough and we don't use that color here in the Ozarks. Thanks in advance. Bob

[BJ Smith]

Bob,

It is not hard..... Base coat of opaque white.... Createx transparent orange belly...... Createx transparent Deep Red sides..... black back......... If you are painting the eyes, go with an opaque yellow with black pupil. No need for some fancy craw pattern unless you really want one.... The fishing reports from Ray Bob have not been too good lately.... high/muddy water............ Good luck.

Something like this........... Also ..... paint some with a chartreuse belly.......

[RayburnGuy]

Got to tacklewarehouse.com and click on "lipless crankbaits" and then on "Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap" and scroll down until you see "Red Shad". This is a time tested color on Sam Rayburn in the early spring and what a lot of the locals refer to as "Rayburn Red". Click on the bait and it will give you a larger view. Good luck on your trip.

RG

p.s. In case you can't tell from the picture it has a black back.

Edited April 2, 2010 by RayburnGuy

[Fishwhittler]

Here's the XCalibur XR50 in "Rayburn Red". It looks different from the "Red Shad" Rattle-Trap (below).

[RayburnGuy]

There are several bait companies that now have what they call "Rayburn Red". Excalibur is one and Bass Pro Shops is another that comes to mind. It seems "Rayburn Red" has become a generic term over the years and refers to any of several different paint schemes. Depending on who you talk to or what bait company you buy lures from. When I said that the Red Shad Rat-L-Trap is what a lot of the locals called Rayburn Red I was talking about many years ago. Before Bass Pro Shops or Excalibur baits were even around. The red colored Rat-L-Traps gained major fame on Sam Rayburn and Toledo Bend a couple decades ago. It wasn't long until people started fishing them on other lakes with substantial grassbeds and doing well with them. Needless to say, it was a closely guarded "secret" for a long time, and as with so many of the secret lures and techniques, the word soon got out. Thus the legend was born. Not trying to say the others aren't great baits, nor am I disputing or belittling anyone's opinion. Just trying to give a little history into the "Rayburn Red" legacy.

RG

[bobv]

There are several bait companies that now have what they call "Rayburn Red". Excalibur is one and Bass Pro Shops is another that comes to mind. It seems "Rayburn Red" has become a generic term over the years and refers to any of several different paint schemes. Depending on who you talk to or what bait company you buy lures from. When I said that the Red Shad Rat-L-Trap is what a lot of the locals called Rayburn Red I was talking about many years ago. Before Bass Pro Shops or Excalibur baits were even around. The red colored Rat-L-Traps gained major fame on Sam Rayburn and Toledo Bend a couple decades ago. It wasn't long until people started fishing them on other lakes with substantial grassbeds and doing well with them. Needless to say, it was a closely guarded "secret" for a long time, and as with so many of the secret lures and techniques, the word soon got out. Thus the legend was born. Not trying to say the others aren't great baits, nor am I disputing or belittling anyone's opinion. Just trying to give a little history into the "Rayburn Red" legacy.

RG

Thanks guys this is a lot of help, I've been reading the fishing reports and have seen it's been slow down there. Can't be any worse than here in the Ozarks, have to work a suspending jerkbait all day for a couple of bites. Catching a few good ones but it is slow. Bob

[F&R]

Bob,

It is not hard..... Base coat of opaque white.... Createx transparent orange belly...... Createx transparent Deep Red sides..... black back......... If you are painting the eyes, go with an opaque yellow with black pupil. No need for some fancy craw pattern unless you really want one.... The fishing reports from Ray Bob have not been too good lately.... high/muddy water............ Good luck.

Something like this........... Also ..... paint some with a chartreuse belly.......

[EdL]

RayburnGuy is right on with the history of Rayburn Red. Back in the 80's I use to fish Sam Rayburn alot. Had a working buddy whose Dad wrote sports for the paper in Woodville. He had the latest info and techniques. On one adventure we loaded up on LMB using anything red. One of the guys didn't have any red baits so we went to Jasper that evening and hit the Gibson store (now out of business). Larry bought just about all they had in red - cranks, spinners, topwaters. Spent a bundle. We'll as fishin goes the next day the bass would not hit any thing red. They turned on to june bug worms. Weather front came through the night before. Larry got a lot of cheap offers to buy some of his red baits but he held on to them for the next time. Back then anything of a deep red color would work -cranks, traps, even spinnerbaits with red skits. Haven't made it Rayburn in a long time but when I do get there I will try something red even for old times sake and I bet that Larry still has a large stash of red baits for Rayburn.