Smoker Ultima 162 Captain’s Report

By Capt. Steve



A family boat with fish appeal. The Smoker Craft 162 is the right mix of ease of use and tools to get the job done. Whether it’s fishing this weekend or boating with the family next weekend.

Whenever I see a 16’ (4.9 m), I get a bit nostalgic. My dad had a method of teaching responsibility by giving responsibility, and he did for me with our 16’ boat. I learned about boating from that boat. I got hooked and it never let go and never disappointed. We would go boating on weekends and on weekdays, the boat was mine. I explored the waters of Cape Cod and thought I was the coolest kid on the river. The thing was, 16 feet (4.9 m) is the perfect size to get so many things done. And when I look at the Ultima 162, I see a compromise of a kid’s first boat, a family day boat, and the after work fishing boat, all wrapped in a 16’ package… just the way it was meant to be.

A convenient size…

The boat only weighs just over 1000 lbs (453.6 kg) dry, so just about any vehicle with a hitch on the back can tow it. That means no dock fees, no mooring fees, just hitch it up and go. It’s also small enough to keep out of trouble with, as long as you’re marginally conscientious and don’t bring a case of beer with you. Unless you drive it into perhaps another boat, or a rock, it’s totally forgiving of beginner’s foibles, and that means you can learn from simple mistakes without having to pay a hefty price.



That’s one of three comfortable bass seats that can be moved to any of six positions throughout the boat. You can choose from up to four trolling motors.

Features to enjoy….

The Smoker Craft Ultima 162 also has the right mix of features that make owning a small boat worthwhile. It’s got seating for its full 5 person capacity so 80% of families can enjoy it. Tubing, teaching skiing, pulling a wakeboard, or just dropping the anchor at a remote beach is all in the game plan. Fire up the stereo, let the kids plug in their MP3 player, cook all day under a blue sky and you have a recipe for building your own memories. And we haven’t even wet a fish hook yet. Teach a kid to fish and you’ll bond like crazy glue. And with this boat’s fishability, the groundwork is already laid.



Check out the rear fold-down seats. That makes swimming a breeze. They flank a 18 gallon (79.3 L) livewell. That seat base in front of the livewell is one of six scattered about the boat. And that’s 23” (28.4cm) of interior depth for safety.

There’s plenty of rod storage, two livewells, a 12 gallon (52.8 L) bow livewell and an 18 gallon (79.3 L) stern livewell, and it’s pre-wired for a trolling motor of your choice that will even get a dedicated battery. With two movable pedestals, three bass seats, and six seat bases there’s no shortage of locations on this boat to fish from.

Specs...

The Smoker Craft Ultima 162 has a LOA of 16’ (4.9m) and a beam of 87" (221cm) so you’ll be hard pressed to find a garage that won’t accommodate it. Her dry weight is a mere 1020 lbs (462.7 kg) and you can hang your choice of motor up to 90-hp. With its 24 gallon (105.7 L) fuel tank, you’ll be able to spend the day on the water without worry, as long as you don’t spend it a WOT.

Conclusion…

This boat has family fun written all over it. It’s also a good combination of fishability and convenient trailering, which makes an attractive combination in any economy. And if you have kids, the time spent between teaching them to handle this boat and giving them the keys will be time well spent that could start them on a lifetime of responsible behavior and… who knows, maybe launch a career.