Alumacraft 195 T-Pro Review

It’s one thing to see a tournament fishing boat in the showroom, and quite another to see it fully decked out for a day on the water. As most anglers know, even the best-equipped fishing boat is really just a blank canvas, waiting for the aftermarket goodies that take it to its full potential. So it was a treat to spend a day on the water with tournament angler Cameron Tait and see what exactly he’s done to fit out his new Alumacraft 195 T-Pro.

Stretching 19 feet, three inches in overall length, the 195 T-Pro follows a proven dual console layout that gives it such incredible versatility as a multi-species fishing platform. The open main cockpit provides four in-floor bases for the pedestal-mount fishing seats, allowing them to be positioned wherever they’re required. A carpeted deck provides traction when wet, while wide gunnels support the installation of rod holders and downriggers. Bridging the gunnels at the stern is a small rear casting deck, concealing a live well beneath.

The 195 T-Pro follows a proven dual console layout, with a raised front deck, open cockpit and a compact stern casting platform.

The large, gracefully curved walk-through windshield provides both the driver and companion with good protection from wind and spray while underway. The passenger console includes a beverage holder and lipped tray up top for temporary storage of small items, plus a locking glove box for more secure storage. The driver’s helm console is unusually shaped, with a large flat top and the instruments clustered together in a bulge on the far left-hand side.

“The great thing about this boat is the helm design, and its ability to accommodate aftermarket electronics,” says Tait. “I can fit a Humminbird 1198, which is probably the largest graph you can get, easily up on the dash and still have room for a second GPS unit. With the instrument cluster set high up on the left, it leaves a huge amount of space for my electronics while maintaining a reasonable overall height. If the instruments were set across the dash in the traditional straight line, my fish finder would sit up so high that I would have to stand up to see where I’m going.”

The unique helm arrangement is designed with aftermarket electronics in mind. By clustering the instrumentation in a pod to the far left, Alumacraft maintains a low dash height, so the driver can still see over even large displays mounted to the dash top.

Step up between the consoles toward the enormous front casting deck and you notice a large in-floor rod storage compartment, keeping pricey poles safely stowed yet within easy reach. A third pedestal with a bicycle-style seat sits centered on the front deck. Several deck hatches allow access to generous storage space beneath its carpeted surface. At the very front, a carpeted pad provided the perfect place to mount the Minn Kota bow-mount electric motor, with a third Humminbird digital display mounted on a RAM adjustable mount.

Along each gunnel in the bow, Tait has opted for Alumacraft’s optional mesh cargo netting, which he uses to secure numerous small tackle boxes and bits of gear.

“The cargo net keeps all this stuff from winding up under foot,” says Tait. “It’s all within easy reach, yet I know I’m not going to step on any of it.”

Optional cargo netting ringing the large bow casting deck keeps small, frequently-accessed items close by but safely out of the way.

Alumacraft’s 195 T-Pro comes with a long list of standard features all geared to keeping the hard-core angler happy on the water. This includes niceties like courtesy lights and tilt steering, to full gauges (speedometer, tachometer, volt and fuel gauges), horn, hydraulic steering, sliding base on the driver’s seat, folding cleats that don’t snag fishing lines, grab handles, automatic bilge pump, dual aerated live wells with timers (the second one resides in the bow), and stowable running lights. Also standard is a 36-volt electric system for powering the bow-mount trolling motor.

Because the boat comes well equipped to begin with, the option list is a bit more compact. Some anglers may prefer to select all vinyl flooring with snap-in carpet, which is a bit easier to keep clean, the transom-mounted boarding ladder, and the aforementioned bow cargo netting. As an independent boat builder, Alumacraft offers the 195 T-Pro with engine choices from Evinrude, Honda, Mercury, Suzuki or Yamaha.

Cam Tait’s T-Pro was rigged with a Suzuki 200-horsepower four-stroke. This quiet and fuel-efficient engine is a good match to the 1,735-pound T-Pro. Built on an inline four-cylinder block rather than the traditional V6, it’s also amazingly compact for a 200.

With the 200 hp Suzuki, the 195 T-Pro hopped up on plane quickly, providing a smooth and dry ride.

With two aboard, a half tank of fuel and a full load of tournament gear, the Suzuki easily pushed the 195 T-Pro on plane in less than three seconds. There was a good chop developing on eastern Manitoba’s Falcon Lake as we did our sea trial, which ruled out any full-throttle speed runs, but the boat does accelerate rapidly and is said to achieve a top speed approaching 50 mph. The boat handles rough conditions well, its flared bow sending the spray well off the the sides and out of the boat.

Alumacraft 195 T-Pro
LOA: 19’ 3”
Beam: 97”
Weight: 1,735 lbs.
Passenger capacity: 6
Fuel capacity: 34 gal.
Maximum Power: 200 hp
Info: alumacraft.com