198 Louisiana Sportsman^ | April 2015
W
ant a unique and improved spinnerbait on
your side when you go redfish fishing for
pleasure or for money?
You cannot go wrong with a Hildebrandt Drum
Roller designed by Bernie Schultz of Gainesville,
Fla., for the Yakima Bait Company.It’s all about the tin that makes up the
spinnerbait that was used to win a major
saltwater tournament several months
ago in South Louisiana.
Schultz is proud of the relatively new
artificial lure that is quickly making aname for itself.
During his 30 competitive years on the water,
Schultz fished inshore saltwater fishing tourna-
ments and as a pro bass angler in the Bassmaster
Elite Series.
And he has been involved in the fishing industry
one way or another since his college days at the
University of Florida, where he graduated with a
degree in drawing and illustration in 1979.
He applied a lot of what he learned in classes and
on the water to the design of artificial lures.
“I started working with tin as an alternate to lead
in the early ’90s,” Schultz said, remembering the fuss
over lead in artificial lures. “I designed a tin spinner-
bait ( for bass) for clear water with Hildebrandt.
“I didn’t realize at the time, but tin has 10 unique
qualities that created some advantages.”
Schultz recalled that at the time most spinnerbaits
were made for bass in dingy water and designed to
create vibration.
“I wanted to develop a spinnerbait for fish that live
in clear water like we have in Florida and you have
in Louisiana,” he said.
His Hildebrandt spinnerbait for bassin’ had fish
gills, protruding eyes and was a popular model for
Hildebrandt.
Because he had experience in inshore fishing, he
also designed a tin jig for Hildebrandt.
The 60-year-old outdoorsman included those
qualities and advantages of tin in the Drum Roller.
“The tin spinnerbait evolved to where I finally got
to see the need for a tin spinnerbait for saltwater.Hildebrandt Drum Roller
Redfish love this tin spinnerbait
luRe Review
Don Shoopman
Don Shoopman fishes for
freshwater and saltwater
species mostly in and
around the Atchafalaya
Basin and Vermilion
Bay. He moved to the
Sportsman’s Paradise in
1976, and he and his wife
June live in New Iberia.
They have two grown sons.BELOW: Legendary
bass and inshore angler
Bernie Schultz helped
design the Hildebrandt
Drum Roller.