Smoker Craft 182 Pro Angler XL

boat review
Smoker Craft 182 Pro Angler XL
By Craig Ritchie
Smoker Craft has earned a dedicated and
widespread following over the years by building
high quality, smartly designed boats that manage
to do a lot of things really well. Indeed, this
seemingly magical ability to build versatile boats
that offer the kind of features one would only
expect to find in highly-specialized craft sets
them apart in the marketplace. Nowhere is this
more evident than in the company’s acclaimed
Pro Angler series, a seven-model lineup of
durable multi-purpose boats from 16 to 18 feet.
The newest and largest member of the Pro
Angler family, Smoker Craft’s 182 Pro Angler XL,
takes this tremendous versatility to an all-new
level in a platform large enough to accommodate
the entire family at once. With seating for eight,
the Pro Angler 182 XL, at first glance, looks like
a typical tournament fishing boat, but it is only
when you open doors and start rearranging the
seats that you realize this is much more than a
pure fishing machine.
Walking up to the boat at the dock, you can’t
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Step aboard and you
notice there’s plenty of
room to … well, step aboard.
help but notice its deep hull with wide,
flaring bow and full-length spray rails.
With its tall, walk-through windshield,
this is clearly a boat that’s built to handle
rough water and wet weather, making it a
true three-season boat that will keep you
comfortable from ice-out to freeze-up. Its
dual-console design with full windshield
makes the most of the boat’s 18-foot,
five-inch length and full eight-foot beam.
From the dock you can also see that the
182 Pro Angler retains its width all the
way forward of the windshield. Not only
does this provide a substantial amount
of interior space, it’s a major factor in its
stellar driving performance.
Step aboard and you notice there’s plenty
of room to … well, step aboard. With its
huge elevated bow casting deck, there’s
no need to step onto seat cushions or try
to balance on the gunnel as you board.
Even with the 182 Pro Angler’s substantial
windshield, there’s plenty of room up front
for a couple of anglers to cast in comfort,
without fear of getting tangled or hooking
each other in the hat. Hook a fish, and the
elevated deck makes it easy to simply reach
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Fishing rod storage options are
plenty aboard the Smoker Craft
182 Pro Angler XL.
over the side and land your catch without
reaching or having the deck castings dig into
your ribs. An elevated bow pad provides a
secure platform for mounting an electric
motor, keeping it out of the way, while
below the deck level you’ll find concealed
dry storage, a 68L live well, and the first of
multiple locking rod storage lockers.
Where the bow deck is finished in
a heavy-duty marine carpet, the main
cockpit floor is surfaced in hard-wearing
vinyl, a practical choice for a boat that will
be repeatedly loaded with coolers, tackle
boxes and other heavy gear (snap-in carpet
is available as an option). The passenger
console includes a generously sized locking
glove box to provide safe storage for
wallets, cell phones and other valuables, as
well as an unexpected surprise in the form
of a top-mounted storage compartment that
accommodates a Plano 3700-style plastic
tray. This is a convenient way to keep small
items you need to frequently access close at
hand, yet securely stowed.
The helm console is no-nonsense, with a
large tachometer to the left, a speedometer
with integral voltmeter and fuel gauge to
the right, and pop-outs mounted to the
centre for two additional gauges. To the
right of the padded, black-on-chrome
wheel is a large flat area that’s ideal for
mounting additional electronics, like the
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Muskoka life AUGUST 2015 123
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S Muskoka
Bryan Shier Darryl Hudson Angela Schell
Tammy Ruddell Ryan Venturelli Tracey West
The spacious front deck provides even more
space for casting when the chair is removed.
Hummingbird 718 GPS-capable sonar
included on our review boat. The stereo
control head sits below and to the left of the
steering wheel, while metal toggle switches
to the lower right control the navigation
lights, horn, bilge pump and live well
pumps. A 12-volt accessory plug and MP3
input for the stereo are also included.
On the floor between the two consoles
is a second large rod locker with double
gas rams to support the lid while in use.
Flip-open lids atop the gunnels in the main
cockpit reveal still more rod storage, with
space for rods up to eight feet, six inches in
length. If there’s one thing this boat has, it’s
storage space galore.
The real surprise in the Pro Angler
XL lies to the stern where a huge rear
casting deck with an aluminum base to
accommodate a removable pedestal-mount
fishing seat sits atop a substantial 105L live
well with a separate bait bucket. If you opt
for the available fold-down rear seat, this
massive rear casting deck quickly converts
to a pair of plush high-back seats by simply
lifting the forward edge of the deck up
and rearward. Thanks to its split-bench
design, you can convert just one side to
seating and retain the deck space on the
other, or flip up both sides for even more
passenger capacity. Integral cup holders
along the centreline are a nice touch, and
the seat design allows it to be used with
the available ski pylon in place, making the
182 Pro Angler a great tow boat for tubing,
wakeboarding or water-skiing. While this
rear seat is an optional upgrade, it’s such
a useful, versatile design that it’s hard to
imagine ordering the boat without it.
Off the transom, a starboard-side swim
platform with a retractable boarding ladder
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Muskoka life AUGUST 2015 125
Smoker Craft 172 Pro Angler XL
When Less Is More
Smoker Craft 172
Pro Angler XL
Length: 16’ 8”
Beam: 92”
Dry weight: 1,225 lbs.
Fuel capacity: 90L / 24 gal.
Passenger capacity: 5
Deadrise: 14 deg.
Maximum Power: 140 hp
For more information
www.smokercraft.com
Like the idea of Smoker Craft’s 182 Pro Angler XL
but need just a bit less boat? The similar 172 Pro
Angler XL offers most of the same great features,
but in a 16-foot, eight-inch version that can be
easily towed by mid-sized vehicles and fits in most
standard garages.
Like its larger sibling, the 172 Pro Angler XL
features a full walk-through windshield, massive
front casting deck, and generous storage for a
veritable mountain of gear. It comes with three
pedestal-mount seats and six seat bases, so you
can position them wherever they’re needed. And
best of all, it also offers the great flip-down rear
split bench seat option that lets you easily switch
from fishing mode to family mode in seconds.
Riding on a slightly shorter version of the same
Hydra-Lift hull, the Smoker Craft 172 Pro Angler XL
delivers a great ride and excellent fuel economy
with outboards up to 140 horsepower.
makes it easy for swimmers and skiers to
climb back aboard.
With its deep beamy hull, the 182 Pro
Angler XL is rated to handle outboards up
to 175 horsepower. Our review boat was
rigged with a Yamaha F150 four-stroke, one
of the quietest and most popular outboards
in this size class. It’s a good match for the
big Pro Angler, snapping the boat onto
plane promptly and pushing it to about 30
m.p.h. in just over seven seconds. With a
full tank of gas and two of us aboard, we
easily hit an indicated speed just shy of 50
mph in multiple runs both into and with a
light breeze.
The 182 Pro Angler XL rides on Smoker
Craft’s Hydra-Lift reverse chine hull, a
proven design that delivers a smooth, dry
ride and sports car-like handling. It has a
stable platform, is agile in turns and fast
to accelerate – the kind of ride that quickly
inspires confidence, even among less
experienced drivers. With its sophisticated
interior hull structure, the 182 Pro Angler
XL eats boat wakes and choppy waves for
one of the driest rides on the water, greatly
contributing to its ability to be enjoyed
earlier or later in the boating season.
Smoker Craft’s new 182 Pro Angler
XL lives up to the company’s heritage
of building high quality boats that do
many different things equally well. With
its ability to carry up to eight people in
comfort, it’s a versatile family runabout
that’s equally at home competing in a
weekend fishing tournament.
Smoker Craft 182
Pro Angler XL
Length: 18’ 5”
Beam: 96”
Dry weight: 1,425 lbs.
Fuel capacity: 102L / 27 gal.
Passenger capacity: 8
Deadrise: 17 deg.
Maximum Power: 175 hp
Power as reviewed: Yamaha F150
For more information
www.smokercraft.com
126 Muskoka life AUGUST 2015