Article posted by Chris Payne on the Kayak Fishing Blog

Is the market trend for seasoned paddlers moving toward performance over features? That question was really at the forefront of my mind last week as I saw the constant posts about the NuCanoe Pursuit.

If you keep up with kayak anglers who are more visible across the US, you may have noticed what I did recently. There has been a shift in kayak choices from people who were once thought to be lifetime brand loyalists. More specifically, I’ve noticed a huge market surge in usage of the Pursuit. It was actually the reason I wanted to review it. (Read the review here.)

While NuCanoe has been around several years, the Pursuit is a newer offering. At first glimpse I was a little confused. No offense to the NuCanoe brand but from an outsiders view, I couldn’t figure out why I should shell out similar dollars for a Pursuit when I could just as easily buy an ATAK 140 or a Big Rig. That’s when I decided I needed to start making some phone calls.

I visited with Everett Park of NuCanoe and very candidly dared him to convince me why I should consider a Pursuit. He countered with the question, “Have you ever paddled one?” I hadn’t and admitted as much. I had seen them in show rooms and walked through them but my quick views only showed me a seat and a hull. He offered to get me with a local angler to paddle one to check it out and I agreed. I also persisted with my questioning. He answered all my questions and encouraged me to talk to other people who had made the switch. I wanted to know why people who had access to basically any boat they wanted would move to a kayak with what seemed like fewer features.

My next call was to Stewart Venable. Stewart has been a long time friend and contributor of Kayak Bass Fishing Magazine. He is a great angler and of outstanding character. I knew he would give me the straight answers I was seeking and he did. They just weren’t what I was expecting. I didn’t know the hidden gems of situational fishing that made up the Pursuit…..

Read the full post on the Kayak Fishing Blog.