Smoker Craft 182 Pro Angler XL Review

Smoker Craft has earned a loyal following over the years by building high quality, well designed boats that manage to do a lot of things really, really well. The newest and largest member of its popular 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.

Walking up to the boat at the dock, you can’t 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.

The massive front casting deck offers plenty of room up front for a couple of anglers to fish in comfort.

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 climb in. 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. The deck is set at just the right height, providing excellent visibility while casting, yet still low enough that it’s easy to reach down and grab a hooked bass by the lower lip. 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, an 18 gallon live well, and the first of multiple locking rod storage lockers.

If there’s one thing that Smoker Craft’s 182 Pro Angler XL offers in abundance, it’s rod storage. Nice rods store in an in-floor locker located between the consoles.

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 large locking glove box to provide safe storage for wallets, cell phones and other valuables, along with a convenient top compartment that accommodates a Plano 3700-style plastic tray.

A compartment at the top of the passenger console accommodates a Plano 3700-style tray, keeping small items safe but accessible.

The helm features full gauges and a large flat area that’s ideal for mounting additional electronics, like the Humminbird 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 nav lights, horn, bilge pump and live well pumps.

The helm features full gauges and a large flat area that’s ideal for mounting additional electronics.

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.

Six more rods can be safely stowed in an in-floor compartment between the front seats.

At the stern a huge rear casting deck sits atop a substantial 28-gallon 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.

The stern casting deck conceals a 28 gallon live well with bait bucket. A second live well is located in the bow deck.

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 mph 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 rear casting deck is hinged and split, allowing either or both sides to flip up and provide additional seating.

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.

The 182 Pro Angler XL rides on a beamy hull that holds its width far forward, providing greater interior space and faster planing times even with a full load aboard.

Smoker Craft 182 Pro Angler XL Specs

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
Info: www.smokercraft.com