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Ko-Man-Chi’s
Serves up a Second Generation Soft Wire Spinnerbait, the Platinum Composite
(continued)
  Durability:
The original exhibited excellent durability and unlike wire based spinnerbaits
there was simply no bending or breaking the lures. I was initially quite
concerned by the PC’s connector which locks into the attached swivel. The
composite material is basically a malleable plastic and while I was able to rip
off this connector with a pair of pliers by applying torque back and forth, when
it came to performance in the field over the last six months of testing we never
had a single break off in the field, the fact is your knot is likely to fail
well before this composite connector is. When it comes to the durability of the
rest of the bait aside from scratches on the head from contact with structure
the lures looked and performed like new.
Even the smaller blade can be
changed out
Price & Applications:
Robert Osler, the Owner and Designer of all the Ko-Man-Chi Dr. Spinnerbait lures
is all about the “options” and in addition to standard combos like white and
chartreuse he offers spinnerbaits in a plethora of unique combinations, some of
which include bright green, red and pink colors that really scream for
attention. But it isn’t just a variety of skirt options that give the lures such
a unique look, it is also all the various head and blade patterns that he makes
available. With the ability to mix and match all these components it is easy to
tailor baits in the field for exactly what the application calls for.
The two stage skirt allows for
some unique combinations
While
these spinnerbaits are easy to get in Canada they are harder to find here in the
States. Some e-tailers like
Tackle Warehouse currently carry the original Dr. Spinnerbait
lures but to get the PC the best place for anglers to go is straight to the
manufacturer’s eBay store where the lures retail from 15-18.50 USD depending on
model.
A bigger fish hits the PC at Clear
Lake
Like
the original the PC spinnerbaits catch fish and can be used in a wide variety of
conditions. This blade puts out serious flash and vibration even during slow
rolling and when burned it folds in tighter for a more streamlined presentation.
You want options? Ko-Man-Chi has
you covered
We
hope that over time these baits will become more readily available here
Stateside but for now anglers can go directly to Ko-Man-Chi to source the PC.
There are plenty of combinations to choose from but Ko-Man-Chi also does custom
builds for anglers that are looking for something specific. We are not just
talking about different patterns here, Robert sent me some of his prototypes and
he is able to create special hook implementations to run swimbaits instead of
traditional skirted heads, twin armed multi-bladed designs, add of rattles, and
the list goes on and on…basically if you can dream it up Robert can build it.
Ratings:
(We've
re-calibrated our
ratings standard for
2008 and have
included a key at
the bottom of the
following matrix as
a guide):
|
Ko-Man-Chi
Dr.
Spinnerbait
Platinum
Composite Series
Ratings
(?/10)
|
|
Construction/Quality |
The
original
wire
design
looked
more
unique
and made
use of
higher
end
material
but all
the
other
components
have
been
upgraded |
8.5 |
|
Performance |
Excellent
performance
that
drew
strikes
and kept
fish
pinned |
9 |
|
Price |
Ranked
"fair"
this
bait is
currently
harder
to
source
in the
U.S. and
is more
expensive
than
most
spinnerbaits.
It is
very
"custom"
and is
certainly
not a
"me-too"
option |
6.5 |
|
Features |
We
thought
the
original
was
feature
rich but
this new
bait
really
kicks it
up a
notch |
9.5 |
|
Design
(Ergonomics) |
Just as
easy to
fish as
a
traditional
spinnerbait
and the
new lure
offers
more in
terms of
customization
on the
fly |
8.5 |
|
Application |
Good
when
fished
fast or
slow the
PC
really
delivers
in both
clear
and
murky
water |
8 |
|
Total
Score
|
8.33 |
Ratings
Key:
1 =
terrible
: 2 =
poor : 3
=
lacking
: 4 =
sub par
: 5 =
mediocre
: 6 =
fair : 7
= good :
8 =
great :
9 =
excellent
: 10 =
unbelievable!
For More
Details
of the
updated
rating
system
visit
our
explanation
here |
Pluses and Minuses:
|
Plus
Minus
|
|
+
Still
innovative
and more
refined
finishes
than the
original |
-
More
expensive
than
your
average
spinnerbait |
|
+
Very
feature
rich! |
-
Still
hard to
source
this new
model in
the U.S. |
|
+
Flexible
wire
design
helps
keep
fish
pinned |
|
|
+
Can be
both
burned
or slow
rolled
effectively |
|
|
+
Ko-Man-Chi
is
willing
to do
very
custom
orders
for
anglers |
|
Conclusion:
If you are looking for a spinnerbait that puts out plenty of vibration the new
Platinum Composite Series spinnerbaits from Ko-Man-Chi are hard to beat. The
company took their innovative proven formula and tweaked it to create a
stealthier yet feature rich bait which performs well in both clear water where a
more realistic profile and subtle approach is required and stained conditions
where that extra vibration is necessary to attract more attention.
The new Platinum Composite
Spinnerbait from Ko-Man-Chi is still innovative and now comes loaded with
features
Not
only does the soft wire deliver perfect retrieves it also gives anglers the
ability to effectively retrieve
over soft and hard cover at multiple speeds and also keeps bass pinned
on the second they strike. All the innovation is still
there with this latest Ko-Man-Chi offering but the company has definitely
stepped it up when
it comes to the finishes on the heads, the intricate blade designs and the two
stage skirting. Perhaps best of all is the ability to modify the blade quickly
in the field or even switch out blades entirely with the quick change connector.
All of this adds up to yet another innovative fish catching machine courtesy of
the “Doctor.”
Looking for Ko-Man-Chi Platinum Composite Spinnerbaits? Try the
company's
website
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