The pelican should be fine if you primarily fish small rivers and don't venture offshore on larger lakes. Its' 250 lb capacity is a little low for me, but i weigh 200 lbs and like to carry a lot of gear, including a battery for my depthfinder. If you stay in rivers, don't carry a lot of gear, and don't weigh as much as me, then the pelican would be a good choice. I like the layout of the cockpit and the fact that it only weighs 43 lbs, so you can carry and launch it anywhere.
Whatever yak you choose, make sure you have enough left in your budget for a pfd and good paddle. You don't need a high-dollar carbon fiber paddle, but you won't enjoy yak fishing as much if you use a paddle that weighs a ton and makes you kill yourself to propel the yak.
If you have any more questions, feel free to pm me or post in this thread. I don't have the money to buy all the luxuries i'd like for my yak, so i've learned a few tricks that let me rig my yak like i want without shelling out a lot of money.
Chris
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