Smoker Craft Adventurer 188 FNS Review

While it would be nice to have a fleet of different boats to serve different needs, reality leaves most of us looking at a single boat that can do all the different things we want. That can be quite a challenge when it comes to combining serious fishing credentials with the needs of an active family that’s more interested in offshore picnics, but the new Smoker Craft Adventurer 188 FNS hits the mark.

The FNS in its name is short for Fish ‘n Ski, and that speaks to this boat’s multiple personalities. Rigged to fish, it’s right at home at the weekend tournament. But when it’s time for family fun, just pop in the removable cushion sets and the Adventurer quickly converts to a versatile runabout with space for everyone. That’s quite a trick, so lets take a closer look at this remarkable boat.

A spacious cockpit and a roomy bow – all with legroom to spare – set the Adventurer apart.

Stretching an inch short of 19 feet in total length, the 188 FNS is part of Smoker Craft’s new Adventurer lineup. Introduced as a mid-year model in late 2020, the 188 FNS rides on the company’s new Vertex Performance Strake (VPS) hull design, which incorporates both lifting strakes and a stern running pad to drive undisturbed water to the propeller for significantly better grip and propeller bite. That means a higher and drier ride underway with greater stability, as well as a faster hole shot and quicker time to plane. Best of all, the VPS hull achieves this with less horsepower, allowing buyers to use smaller, less expensive and more fuel efficient engines without suffering a performance penalty. Because, as the company says, wouldn’t you rather spend your extra money on tackle instead of gas?

The Adventurer 188 FNS is a bigger boat than it looks, as evidenced by its big bow deck and its tall walk-through windshield. Usually the top part of the windshield frame sits right in the driver’s line of sight, but not on this boat. Well done indeed!

The first thing you notice about the Smoker Craft Adventurer 188 FNS is that it’s bigger than its specs would suggest. This is a wide boat, and that extra beam has a huge impact on both floor space and storage for gear. That’s especially true up on the enormous bow casting deck, with three cavernous storage compartments as well as a 15-gallon aerated live well, complete with a timer control.

Further, there’s also a massive in-deck rod storage locker with space for seven rods, as well as battery storage beneath.

Vinyl flooring stands up to hard use better than carpet, dries faster, and is far easier to clean.

Smoker Craft has been building fishing boats for a long, long time – since 1961 – and in that time the company’s has learned a few things about what works best. That’s why the Smoker Craft Adventurer 188 FNS comes with full-length cockpit drainage and a durable marine vinyl floor, making end-of-day cleanups a snap.

The amount of storage space in this boat is just phenomenal, with every available space put into use.

A tall walk-through windshield provides excellent protection for passengers while under way, and is built so the driver has excellent forward vision – unlike many other walk-through windshields, where the top of the frame inevitably sits right in the driver’s line of sight. Just below it, on the forward face of each console is an upholstered seat back for extra passenger comfort when using the boat in family mode.

The spacious passenger console includes a dedicated spot below to accommodate an Engel portable live well/cooler.

The passenger console provides a huge glove box for stowing valuables like wallets, truck keys and cell phones, with a smaller storage compartment up top for items you might want to access more frequently, like sun screen, insect repelant and the like. There’s a dedicated space under the console to stow the standard 13-quart Engel portable aerated live well/cooler, along with a stereo speaker.

The passenger and driver in the Smoker Craft Adventurer 188 FNS each ride on comfortable Centric-style pedestal-mount swivel seats. Along the port-side gunnel is a large rod storage compartment that accommodates rods to nine feet in length.

The smartly-designed helm provides plenty of space for electronics.

The helm console is smartly designed, with the essential gauges contained in a neat cluster ahead of the sporty chrome-on-black padded wheel, leaving plenty of space to the right of the console for mounting electronics. Two rows of illuminated rocker switches control electric accessories such as the lights and live well pumps, with a stereo speaker below. The stereo head unit sits inboard of the steering wheel, for easy access.

Drawer storage under the helm console provides added storage space. each drawer can accommodate a couple of Plano-style flat trays, allowing their use for tackle storage, a tool kit, or accessories like line releases if fishing with planer boards or downriggers.

Under the steering wheel are a pair of drawers, each large enough to accommodate all sorts of gear including a couple of Plano-style flat boxes for additional tackle storage.

There are four seat bases in the main cockpit, allowing the boat to be set up in a variety of ways. Smoker Craft’s Integrated Gunnel Track System (IGTS) can be found across the top of each gunnel, allowing or the quick and easy placement of accessories like rod holders, tool holders and such without having to drill any holes in the boat.

The flip-up jump seats are surprisingly comfortable thanks to generously upholstered seat cushions with excellent support.

The large stern casting deck of the Smoker Craft Adventurer 188 FNS conceals a 24-gallon aerated, recirculating live well with timer function, as well as a pair of jump seats, with one in each outboard corner. The seats are more comfortable than you might think, with nicely upholstered cushions.

Between the jump seats is a 24-gallon aerated, recirculating live well with timer function.

As a Smoker Craft, the Adventurer 188 FNS comes with just about everything that a person would want all as standard equipment. But of course there’s an enticing option list that allows buyers to customize things to suit their own taste. That includes fun things like a ski tow pylon, a stern swim platform with a stainless steel boarding ladder, mood lighting, a variety of tops and an extensive range of electronics and electric trolling motors.

The VPS hull squeezes a lot of performance out of smaller, more fuel-efficient engines, allowing buyers to save a few bucks – or spend it on fishing tackle instead of gas.

One-boat families will find a lot to like about the brilliant Smoker Craft Adventurer 188 FNS. This is a sporty, well-made fishing boat that also makes a terrific family runabout, offering buyers the best of both worlds in an attractive and affordable package.