Smoker Craft 202 Phantom Review

Story by Craig Ritchie Sep. 24, 2015

Serious fishermen place serious demands on their boats, and that’s particularly true for anglers who venture far offshore on big water. When you spend a lot of time a long ways out in big water, you need a boat that’s built without compromise. Enter Smoker Craft’s delightful Phantom 202, a compact and fuel efficient offshore fishing boat that’s designed from the keel up to handle the toughest jobs with ease.

Built on a deep-V aluminum hull with a wave-eating 17-degree deadrise, the Phantom is designed for long runs over open water while keeping its occupants safe, warm and dry. Part of Smoker Craft’s American Angler series of fishing boats made with welded aluminum hulls, the Phantom 202 features hefty .190 thick bottom plates, while the side plates are a beefy .125 aluminum – that’s thicker than the bottom plates on many other boats. Yet in spite of this armored frame, the Phantom 202 has a dry weight of just 1,650 pounds, making it easily towable with a mid-sized vehicle, and easy to launch and recover off a marginal ramp, or even a beach.

Smoker Craft’s Phantom 202 is designed for long runs over open water while keeping its occupants safe, warm and dry.

The Phantom 202’s helm-forward design and big, walk-through safety glass windshield is fairly typical of serious offshore fishing boats. This sturdy design not only provides the crew with excellent visibility with full protection from the elements (particularly with the optional canvas enclosure), but allows for a wide-open stern, with plenty of room for fighting big fish.

Evidence of Smoker Craft’s heavy-duty construction includes oversized cleats that are welded into place, while the bow step and on the bow fish box lid are formed from heavy diamond plate. The fully welded bow is self-draining, to keep rain and spray from finding its way into the cockpit, while welded, stainless steel grab rails provide extra security in big water.

An available removable, in-floor fish box made from welded aluminum is a worthwhile upgrade that saves space.

Because the Phantom 202 is meant to absorb big water, Smoker Craft paid special attention to the seating in this boat. The driver and companion ride on pedestal-mount, thickly upholstered fishing seats with adjustable padded arm rests, while additional passengers stay warm and dry on a pair of facing bench seats with storage in their bases, located along each gunnel. In the floor between them, an available removable in-floor fish box is also crafted from welded aluminum. One worthwhile upgrade is the optional wash-down kit, which makes it a cinch to blast away any fish scales or any other debris that winds up on the cockpit floor.

The driver and companion stay warm and dry on pedestal-mount upholstered fishing seats, while additional passengers enjoy facing bench seats with storage in their bases.

The helm console is simple and straight-forward, with classic black-on-white analogue gauges by Faria, including a speedometer to 65 mph, tach, fuel gauge and volt meter. All gauges are set on a simple black dash panel that’s flat-topped, providing plenty of space for additional electronics like a GPS or a high definition fish finder. Heavy-duty rocker switches to the starboard side of the panel control the bilge pump, navigation lights and accessories, while a 12-volt power outlet offers added convenience. At the base of each console is a fairly large storage space with a wide opening for easy access. A large glove box occupies the upper portion of the passenger console, providing a secure place to store keys, cell phones and other valuables. Available tilt hydraulic steering is another nice option worth having.

The helm console is straight-forward with black-on-white analogue gauges on a flat-topped dash, providing plenty of space for additional electronics.

Because the Phantom 202 is designed for trolling in open water, Smoker Craft wisely kept the stern clear and unencumbered. Wide, flat-topped, reinforced gunnels provide an ideal surface for mounting downriggers, as evidenced by the access openings that have been thoughtfully provided (downrigger brackets are available as a worthwhile option). Lifting the rear hatch covers under the splash well out of the way not only provides access to the battery compartment, but provides access to some additional storage space. A pair of flush-mount rod holders integrated into the sides of the engine splash well provide added convenience when setting up lines. Triple rod storage racks mounted under the gunnel on each side provide a secure place to store extra rods, or keep them safe while running to and from different spots. You’ll find convenient toeholds along the base of each coaming gunnel, providing an additional measure of comfort and security while fighting big fish with both hands in wavy conditions.

Although rated to handle outboards to 175 hp, the 202 Phantom runs surprisingly well with smaller engines. A 115 will still deliver top speeds in excess of 40 mph, along with improved fuel economy.

The Phantom’s forward-cabin design allows for a wide open stern with plenty of space for fighting big fish.

For anglers in search of a rugged, capable offshore boat that’s easy to tow and launch, Smoker Craft’s Phantom 202 is tough to beat – especially in view of its stellar performance with economical, mid-sized outboards.