Alumacraft vs. Smokercraft

[Muskymadness]

Looking @ the Alumacraft Dominator vs. the Smokercraft Promag. Was wondering if anyone had any input on ride and overall performance.

[BoxMN]

Does the Dominator have the 2XB hull? If so, the ride will be quite different. I can't recall if the Dominator has gone to 2XB or not. The 2XB hull is definitely a notch above the pack on solid smooth ride. We have TP175.

[caseymcq]

The Dominator does have the 2XB hull. I have a Navigator 175, it also has the 2XB hull. I love it. I really believe that if you went with the Alumacraft you wouldn't be dissapointed. I love my boat. The ride is great.

[PerchJerker]

Smokers are okay but I think the "big 3" Alumacraft, Crestliner and Lund are all a step up in quality. I used to fish out of a couple Smokers that buddies had, nice boats but just didn't hold up as well as the two Alumacrafts I used to have.

[Retro Active]

The Pro Mags are nice boats. Between uncles and cousins, we've had 5 Smokers in the family over the past 15 years and every one of them has "held up" pretty well, with no real problems to speak of. We fish the popular places in the same conditions as everyone else, Mille Lacs, Rainy, Leech, etc., and we've never had a loose rivet or a leak to speak of. The hardware and electronics still work fine and the boats still look good. The layout of the boats is also quite nice, very similar to all the other aluminum manufacturers out there.

I think if your gonna choose Alumacraft over Smokercraft, I'd make that choice based on something other than quality at this point. They are solid boats with a solid reputation from the people who have owned them. And it seems like I've been seeing more of them these past few years on the water, which I think is another testament to the fact that they work well for both fisherman and family time, depending on your needs.

Of course I do own one, so I might be a bit biased on the subject.

[bassNspear]

Not to stir the pot or anything, but if your a big fisherman, and have alot of rods, check out the rod storage difference between the two.

[Ufatz]

I'm with Retro on this one. Have owned and been around a lot of tough Smoker's in AK, WA, BC etc. They took a beating and got kicked around a lot. There are a lot of them doing severe duty in commercial situations. I also owned ONE Alumacrap.

[caseymcq]

Go online to each of the boats websites and request a brochure. They will mail them to you for free. Go to the dealerships and take a look at them.

It is always nice to see people can remain civil to contribute to a productive discussion

[swamptiger]

Have you looked at Princecraft or Starcraft? Princecraft is made in Canada, and is a good solid, well designed boat. I own a Princecraft Starfish 15 with a 25 hp Johnson 2 stroke that I use for smaller lakes, and I love this boat. Light, very fast hull design - I'll never sell it.

Haven't looked at any of the newer Starcrafts, but they've been around forever, and have always been a good bang for the buck.

[JDM]

Starcraft is worth a look.

[overdalimit]

How about hewscraft? Now there is a boat! Break ice with that baby. Just a note here and correct me if I am wrong but I believe that smoker craft are made in Minong along with northwoods and sylvan...I think...

[vermilionfox]

I was under the impression that Smoker Craft boats were made in Indiana. That's where the company headquarters is. I had a 1984 18 foot Smoker with a walk through. Great boat! Just sold it last year to buy a pontoon.

[overdalimit]

Like I said I was not totally convinced of my statement but I am so bored I just thought I would put it out there and see if anybody knows better

[Dkoy]

If you are in the market do look around. I believe they are nice boats, but do take a look at the G3's. I've rode in both, Dominator and a Angler V172F, and both rides pretty smooth for an aluminum. Reason I'd pick the G3 over Dominator is because you can put about 25 more horsepower on at 115, and I love the extra casting deck space in the back compared to the alumacraft, size wise. Helps a lot when you are going for things other than walleye. Go to their websites and compare them for your general assumption. Lunds, Alumacraft, Smokercraft, Crestliner are as good as it gets, until you step up to a more pricey glass, totally different subject there.

[caseymcq]

I am assuming the V172F is a 17' boat so comparing it to the 17' Dominator would be appropriate. You can put 150 hp on a Dominator 175.