Budget Beater
Pelican Elite Strike 130
($1,000 in Poly-XR Three layer polyethylene, Pelicansport.com)
L: 13'; W: 30"; 69 lbs., 350-lb. capacity

Pelican International, a Canadian plastics company known for value-oriented products, took aim at te higher-end specialty market when it rolled out the Elite Series Strike, a full-featured fish finder. The rudder comes included no less, and yes, that price listed is in U.S. dollars. Thermoformed in two pieces of Poly-XR, a plastic some 30 percent stiffer than comparable roto-molded hull materials, it boasts all the worthy fish 'yak features and an interesting removable mounting plate on the cockpit console. The Elite Strike is a lower-volume design for lighter loads, relatively sleek and responsive, with classic go-anywhere lines. This cheerful ride is truly ready to rock straight from the factory, complete with its seat, a trio of rod holders, a tackle tray, and an anchor cleat. The Strike 130 falls short on in-hull strorage, with a pair of small, round day hatches fore and aft and a moderately sized oval compartment on the bow, which although far from state-of-the-art, definitely still get the job done.

- Canoe and Kayak magazine (July 2009)