The newly redesigned Mako 18 Pro Skiff Backwater Edition is a light-tackle angler’s dream. It’s a skinny-water boat packed with standard features that will help you chase and find fish.
Running with two aboard and a 22-gallon fuel load, we pushed the 18 Pro Skiff to 52 mph, reaching 30 mph from idle in 5.8 seconds. For a relatively flat-bottomed boat, it held true in hard-over turns at planing speeds, never slipping or blowing out the prop. It climbed onto plane in 2.4 seconds. The standard jack plate lets you raise or lower the engine’s running height to keep on plane in skinnier water. With a draft of just 12 inches, you can get shallow and deploy the standard Minn Kota Terrova electric trolling motor and maneuver to find the fish. Additionally, a standard Power-Pole Pro Series II lets you stake off in waters up to 8 feet deep.
Some of the performance attributes can be credited to this boat’s construction. Mako builds a closed-cavity, foam-filled hull bonded together right in the mold. It’s rugged and durable but doesn’t need a stringer system, which helps it shed weight to float in shallower water. Mako’s Gen 2 Rapid Planing system design creates a little pocket in the running surface at the transom that allows water to flow to the prop no matter how high you raise the jack plate. Mako installs a tube in the bilge that flows air into the pocket to ventilate it and enhance the flow.
Fishing features? The spacious bow and stern casting platforms feature camo matting for comfort underfoot. Fold-down cleats prevent line snags. A 26-gallon baitwell resides in the aft deck, with a second 7-gallon baitwell under the seat just forward of the console. There are three vertical rod holders to each side of the console, and three undergunwale rod racks per side long enough to stow fly rods. There are two more vertical holders in the removable helm-bench backrest.
Besides being a fishing machine, this Backwater Edition just looks cool. Its Army Green hull with Mako Sand accents and camo decking stand out at the ramp and help it hide in the mangroves. The scalloped hullsides above the waterline are a nod to the profile of a real mako shark.
High Points
- Standard jack plate, Power-Pole and Minn Kota trolling motor make this boat ready for skinny water.
- Standard Wet Sounds stereo with four speakers lets you rock out.
- Trailer comes standard, so head straight to the launch ramp.
How We Tested
- Engine: Mercury 175 Pro XS
- Drive/Prop: Outboard/Mercury Tempest 14 1/2″ x 19″ 3-blade stainless steel
- Gear Ratio: 1.85:1 Fuel Load: 22 gal. Crew Weight: 400 lb.
Pricing and Specs
| Price: | $63,995 (as tested) |
| LOA: | 18’6″ |
| Beam: | 7’10” |
| Draft: | 1’0″ |
| Dry Weight: | 1,740 lb. |
| Seat/Weight Capacity: | 5/850 lb. |
| Fuel Capacity: | 37 gal. |
