Product Review: Sabiki 500...Friendships Aside
 

I had been eagerly awaiting the day to use my custom made Sabiki 500 manufactured by Park Enterprises, Inc. I'd heard about it for two years..."whoa...ha ha ha...man this thing works!". Roby, Greg, Jorge...they all had one and seemed to be killing it week after week after week. Even StinkyMatt's been successfully using a Sabiki 500 in Vermont for Perch. But not me...It's always..."Hey Jim, how are you doing on making bait, We're killing it over here!", blah, blah, blah.

The clouds parted...the sun appeared...and out of the blue I'm gifted my very own Sabiki 500! I felt very fortunate to have the originator (Tony Park) hand make a rig for me with custom packaging! I see there are several shrimp like creatures with very sharp hooks attached along with the required glow beads. Looking very fishy. So I waited two months for the perfect time to try it. When conditions and bait making were at their hardest.

I proceed to remove the pink shrimp rig from its custom packaging. Being very careful...BAM, felt like it was spring loaded...instant tangled mess. Just not as user friendly as a Hayabasu package, no biggie though. Strangely, I notice the hooks are tied in random spacing..., okay whatever...And the rig is very...I mean very long. Hmmm...this was created by a kayak guy? Okay, get over it.

On the first drop, I'm instant bendo...a double on the Spanish...NICE! I then make another, yes! Greenies, oh yeah!!! Snag some kelp, rip it out, cool, no problem. Immediately after, I begin to notice I'm whiffing on a few bites...Missed on a few more...hmmm...What the? Reel in my Sabiki 500 and I find two hooks are bent. Say what? Okay no problem, bend them back because this thing's MONEY!

On the next drop down...kelp...rip...BOINK. Huh? Oh no it didn't...oh yes it did. Rig down to two hooks.

Review Ratings:
Product Appearance: A
Product Effectiveness: A+
Packaging: D
Quality of Line: F
Quality of Hooks: D-
Durability: F
Price- N/A
Overall rating: D

In summary, I think this product could be a game changer. But the materials and manufacturing should move from its Korean origination. Proven engineers can suggest upgrades to the quality of materials while protecting the price point...I suggest everyone hold on purchasing this product until the Sabiki 500 is labeled...Made in Japan. Jim

thanks for the report Jim

Toby

I'm curious what size hooks did that rig come with? Also, what lb test was the main line and the lead line?

I've been hearing nothing but good things about these rigs!! Where can I buy these? My sabiki skills suck and I need all the help I can get. Thanks!

I've been using a Sabiki 250 for about a year now, I had a custom rig made with 3 hooks instead of the standard 5 hook rig. I didn't realize it until my credit card bill came in but it appears that I was charged the following:

1. $4.00 'custom rig' fee
2. $2.00 per hook removal. I'm assuming this was due to the fact that they had to take a Sabiki 500 and turn it into a Sabiki 250. I'm still trying to figure out why its called a 250 if it has 3 hooks.
3. $3.57 custom packaging fee. I'm assuming this also has to due with the fact that they only had baggies for the 500 in stock and had to order 'custom bags' for the 250. Why the f*ck couldn't they just stick it in a 500 baggie.

Anyway, a few days after I received my order I was invited to attend a Park Enterprises - How to Sabiki show which took place live on the waters of The Sewer. The performance of the 500 was second to none, the 250 was at best, good. After a side by side comparison of the 500 and 250 I noticed the following:

1. The eyeballs on one of the the shrimp were cross sided
2. Two of the three shrimp had 1 tail and the other had a half a tail but it was blue
3. All of the hooks appeared to be Knotless hooks
4. The beads weren't fishing beads, they had a foul smell and appeared to be......I'm sure you can figure that one out.


My Review Ratings:
Product Appearance: C-
Product Effectiveness: C+
Packaging: A
Quality of Line: F, I had to tie my own hooks, line was not included
Quality of Hooks: C
Durability: B
Price: D+
Overall rating: D++

I looked into this product but read that this company may be donating $ to the Monterey aquarium and I think mlpa research. I don't care how good they work I'm not a buyer of these pink commie sabikis.

Jim,

I think you got a cheap knock off. The packaging on the real deal has a warning label on the front saying "Improper use of this item is prohibited".

I think I read where Bass Pro is going to start giving away a set with every Ascend sit-on top kayak

Sabikis usually break when you wrap them around a stringer and yank as hard as you can.

No more sabikis for you jim... you ungrateful bastard!

I'd love to give a review of the Sabiki 500 but I wasn't fortunate to receive one......

Hopefully I'll get to try the new 600 when it comes out in the early spring of 2016.

NO SABIKI FOR YOU. ONE YEAR.

Heard mixed reviews on the new 2016 600. It will get about 15% more miles before you have to re-charge it. However, it takes just under 16 seconds to go from 0 to 60. Plus side for you is that it will come in hot pink.

So sorry Jim...
 

Thank you Jim for your honest and thorough analysis of this product. Last night I sent a team of private investigators to review the security video that was recorded while your gift package was produced. Unfortunately that video has revealed some very disturbing information. During the production of your special stringer - there was a whole lot of laughing going on by Tony and Jorge. A special box of flimsy hooks, 2 lb test trout line and inferior knots were used in the production of your 500 rig. While the main line was original 20 lb test - it was 2X the length of all other 500 rigs produced to increase tangling and all but 2 of the shrimp were rigged to be defective. I know this information is probably very disturbing but I just wanted to let you know so you could take the appropriate action - if you know what I mean!:sifone:

Straight A's
 

Mr. Park
Send me a dozen Sabiki 500's and I guarantee straight A rating on everyone of them.

Well...I've received enough disturbing PM's in both English and of a different language that I am impelled to respond. I have attached one of the more disturbing responses hoping someone can translate please.

Here's my statement:
My family...means a very, very lot to me
I do not have any information that proves revenues generated from the sales of the Sabiki 500 are being funneled into the PRK...
Jorge suggests if you buy this product, use your PayPal account
I have no knowledge of the Monterey Bay Aquarium having ties with the PRK
HarryH is grossly mistaken...Koreans give nothing away for free

This comment was not force or coerced in any way.

Jim

It sure wasnt a very expansive rollout. Id think the fine Sabiki [TM] people would feature some somewhat adept fishermen as field trials rather than the toss it to a gorilla and see if he can break it, approach.

Last evening, Nov 07, 2015 a bright light was seen on most of the western US over the pacific ocean. I have it on conditions of anonymity that it was actually the Koreans firing a nuclear warhead over La Jolla to protest what I said about Bass Pro giving away the venerable Sabiki 500. Unfortunately the missile had an Ascend FS12T kayak on board and it was so heavy and unwieldy and impossible to maneuver that the rocket failed to reach altitude and being a failure the Obama administration took immediate credit for launching a test missile from a nuclear submarine. Therefore I apologize to our friends in North Korea who try to hard to manufacture a quality product. Now I have to eat a quart of kimchi in penance.

Smack talk
 

All this smack talk about me, my sabiki 500tm, Koreans and kimchi....

Makes me wanna get a black spokesman...I'm thinkn... Cadillyak...? We'll see how much smack you mofos talk then!

If you read to line 17 of the other language it says, and I quote " Helly Hill, velly good man"

Wow....really?

I'm wit it tony. I could be your hype man. Let's ride out on these busters!