With uncluttered room all around the console, two fish boxes and a bait well under the forward console seat, the Mako 184 Center Console is ready to go fishing – just add rods and tackle. A T-top is also available.

The Mako 184 Center Console may be only 18' 4" (5.59 m) LOA, but she carries a load of fishability. First, she has a foam-injected hull reinforced with a one-piece fiberglass stringer grid. The hull-to-deck joint is both chemically sealed and mechanically fastened. We don't recommend torture-testing your Mako 184 Center Console, but it's nice to know the boat's built to last. Each boat gets built-in reinforcing plates for the optional T-top, making it an easy retrofit.



The 184 Center Console's modified-V 18-degree deadrise hull is a well-considered compromise between a comfortable ride, speed and stability at rest.

Fishing Features

In equipping the 184 Center Console, Tracker Marine proves that a smaller boat doesn't have to be shy of fishing features. The standard equipment list includes under-gunwale rod racks port and starboard, holding four rods tip-to-butt each, and a pair of in-gunwale rod holders, one on each side, engraved with the Mako logo. A second pair is optional.



Forward, there are two insulated, overboard-draining fish boxes under the V-seats, a drop-in anchor well and drink holders.



A 24-gal. (90.85 L) bait well lives under the forward console seat. The T-top is optional.

Twin pedestal helm seats are standard, but we'd prefer either a leaning post or a double bench helm seat with a reversible back rest. Running fast in a robust chop in a boat this size really demands the helmsman stand up (unless he has a spine of steel), but mooching around inshore it's nice to have a comfortable seat. Make your choice based on how you'll use the boat.



The console has dry stowage inside, space for flush-mounted electronics and a tall windscreen protected by a stainless steel grabrail. The compass is optional.



Mako calls this optional helm bench a "flip-flop" seat: Push the back forward and sit facing aft. It houses a 72-qt. (68.14 L) cooler underneath. Folding, removable jump seats are also available.

Power and Options

Maximum recommended power for the Mako 184 Center Console is 150-hp, but we think most fishermen will be happy with 115-hp. Standard power is a 115-hp Mercury OptiMax two-stroke outboard, but the builder will rig her with a 115-hp Mercury four-stroke or a 150-hp Mercury OptiMax or Verado. All prices are without a trailer; Mako provides a tandem-axle EZ Loader with disc brakes as an option.



Port and starboard under-gunwale rod racks are standard. Each should hold four rigs placed tip-to-butt.



Two gunwale rod holders are standard, complete with an engraved Mako logo. They're placed in the transom corners; a second pair, installed farther forward, is optional.

Conclusion

Mako, like all Tracker Boat companies in their respective spheres, is tough to beat on price. Tracker uses its buying power to negotiate aggressively with equipment and raw-materials suppliers, and passes the savings along to buyers. And Mako subscribes to Tracker's No-Haggle pricing, so you can spec and price your boat on the website and buy her for that price at any Mako dealer.

We like this policy, and we like the Mako 184 Center Console's price: It starts at $27,995 with the Mercury EXLPT OptiMax, plus shipping and prep. Load it up with options and a trailer you're talking in the low-$30,000 range. She could be all you need.