Manufacturers are doing some impressive things with aluminum, and the new RT188 Ranger is an excellent example.
Fishing feature after fishing feature make the RT188 into an avid angler’s dream boat. The boat gets your attention with its incredibly affordable price, and then wins you over with strong attention to detail and the right combination of features, storage and fishing space.
Beginning at the bow, the RT188 is a fishing machine. The front deck is broad, stable and wide open. There is plenty of room to share the bow deck so both anglers can easily work fish to the net.
Under all that room can be found extra-large gear lockers on both sides, and the tournament-designed center box has individual tubes for rods up to 8 feet, 6 inches long.
The RT188 has a fisherman’s cockpit, too. It includes a flush-mounted fishfinder, and speed, tach, fuel and trim gauges, plus switches for all systems right at your fingertips.
Custom marine upholstery that is hand fitted makes the seats comfortable when the lake isn’t.
The rear deck houses a bunch of storage, as well, and it’s dedicated to fish and tackle.
The heart of the rear deck is an oversized, aerated livewell with free-flow divider and automatic timer. Tackle bins are on each side, and a large center hatch grants access below decks to the fuel tank, pumps and other systems.
As with other rangers, the RT188 includes upright, level flotation. The floor and decks are all-aluminum, and the aluminum transom is reinforced with Ranger’s pultrusion fiberglass. So there won’t be any issues with this combination.
The RT188 comes on a custom Ranger Trail trailer, which is custom tailored to the RT 188 so it cradles and cushions the boat as the miles click away.
Once on the water, Ranger built the RT188 to out-fish and out-perform the competition, while carrying top-of-the-line quality, looks and features — at a price that easily fits most budgets.
Specifications:
• Overall hull length: 18 feet, 8 inches
• Bottom width: 64 inches
• Beam: 92 inches
• Engine shaft length: 20 inches
• Maximum horsepower rating: 115 horsepower
• Center rod box length: 8 feet, 6 inches
• Side depth: 21 inches
• Fuel capacity: 21 gallons
• Hull thickness: 0.100 inch
• Boat weight: 1,180 pounds (approximate)
• Length on trailer: 23 feet, 6 inches
• Length on trailer: 21 feet, 8 inches (swing away tongue open)
• Width on trailer: 95 inches
• Capacity: Four people
• Divided livewell with timer
• 6-gauge trolling motor wiring
• MinnKota Edge 45 trolling motor (45-inch length)
• Lowrance Elite 3X depthfinder (in console)
• Dual Pro on-board charger
• Aluminum transom with pultruded fiberglass reinforcement
• Cleats: Four
• Stainless steel bow and stern eyes
• Lockable storage
• Lockable rod storage
• Foam-filled one-piece hull construction
• Five-year limited hull warranty
Flippin, Ark.
