Photo courtesy of Smoker Craft
January 24, 2018
By Game & Fish Staff
Photo courtesy of Smoker Craft
Game & Fish takes a closer look at the Smoker Craft 182 Pro Mag as part of our series of 2018 fishing boat reviews.
By Craig Ritchie
When stepping aboard the 182 Pro Mag you'll be surprised by how much space there is on this 18-foot boat. There's comfortable seating for up to eight people, with ample space to store all of their gear.
The huge raised bow deck conceals vast amounts of in-floor storage, an 18-gallon aerated livewell, and a large, lockable rod storage compartment. The rod storage compartment holds up to six rods rigged and ready to go, yet safely protected from harm.
Thanks to some thoughtful engineering, the front deck is high enough that the tall windshield protects occupants exceptionally well but doesn't gets in the way when casting. A 28-gallon aerated livewell in the stern accommodates a tournament-load of fish with ease.
Additional rod storage in the gunnels is a welcome feature. Make certain you spring for the optional ventilation system that dries gear and rods that are put away wet, greatly reducing mildew and protecting expensive tackle from rust damage.
Underfoot, the 182 Pro Mag comes with Smoker Craft's Sea Weave flooring as standard equipment, offering the durability of vinyl, but in an attractive non-slip finish that looks great even after years of hard use. The gunnels have an integrated rack system that allows rod holders, downriggers and other equipment to be easily mounted wherever they are needed.
G&F Fishing Boat Reviews
2018 boat reviews in this series:
Fishability With its huge raised bow deck, open stern and big water credentials, the 182 Pro Mag can cast, drift and troll with the best. Its new, integrated track system lets anglers mount rod holders
and other accessories anywhere they like, and without drilling a single
hole in the boat.
Handling The 182 Pro Mag is built on Smoker Craft's Hydra-Lift reverse-chine hull for fast hole shots, yet with minimum bow rise. That gives the driver great visibility during a tournament blast-off. It also provides sports-car-style turning agility, along with stability both while running at high speeds and while at rest.
What We Liked The storage compartment ventilation system is an awesome feature; no matter how careful we are, some gear always gets put away wet.
What We'd Change I'd like to see the upper dash panel widened; that would give the angler the option to install a larger in-dash touch-screen display.
Specifications
Length 18 feet, 5 inches
Beam 96 inches
Dry Weight 1,425 lbs.
Fuel Capacity 27 gallons
Max Power 175 hp
MSRP $24,233
