When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Alumacraft Dominator 185 Sport 2012 and the Alumacraft Fisherman 160 2013 are deep vee designs with aluminum construction — the buying decision usually comes down to a handful of practical questions: how many people are you putting on the water, how far do you trailer, and what does your tow vehicle weigh?
On paper these two are close siblings in the size department — Alumacraft Dominator 185 Sport 2012 at 18,8 ft versus Alumacraft Fisherman 160 2013 at 16,3 ft. Weight tells a clearer story for trailering families: the Alumacraft Dominator 185 Sport 2012 tips the scales at 153 lbs — 147 lbs more than the Alumacraft Fisherman 160 2013 at 6 lbs. That difference is meaningful if you're working within a half-ton or three-quarter-ton truck's tow rating, especially once you factor in a motor, gear, and fuel.
The power gap is worth calling out. Rated to 150 hp, the Alumacraft Dominator 185 Sport 2012 has a 125-hp advantage over the Alumacraft Fisherman 160 2013's 25-hp ceiling — enough to notice on acceleration and at cruising speed, particularly with a full passenger load.
For family outings this is probably the sharpest distinction between the two. The Alumacraft Dominator 185 Sport 2012 is rated for 6 passengers, while the Alumacraft Fisherman 160 2013 caps at 5. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Alumacraft Dominator 185 Sport 2012 could be the deciding factor.
Bottom line: Choose the Alumacraft Dominator 185 Sport 2012 if your priority is putting more people on the water — it handles 6 passengers and at 18,8 ft it has the deck room to back that rating up comfortably. The Alumacraft Fisherman 160 2013 is the smarter pick if you want a lighter, easier-to-trailer boat rated for 5 that costs less to run day-to-day.