The summer is upon us, which means the fishing season is here. The skies are blue, the weather is nice, and it is now a bass fisherman’s favorite season. It’s time to gather all your tools, and equipment, including a very important piece of gear that is very often overlooked: sunglasses.
Why are polarized sunglasses important for fishing?
Sunglasses, in particular polarized sunglasses, help to reduce the glare produced by the sun. To varying degrees, while fishing, sunlight reflects on the water creating a blinding glare which can be detrimental for optimum vision and also prevent you from being able to see under the water’s surface. Wearing polarized sunglasses while fishing helps to protect the eyes from impact, harmful UV light, all while allowing you to see under the water’s surface.
Being able to see into the water is a major advantage for any fisherman, and hence, polarized sunglasses are a necessity for peak visual performance on the water.
Dangers of not using polarized sunglasses for fishing
You may believe that not wearing polarized sunglasses when fishing isn't a huge concern, however, you could be doing great damage to your eyes. Here are some of the risks associated with not protecting your eyes while fishing:
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Exposure to UV rays - Most people know that exposure to UV rays is harmful as it relates to the skin. But did you know that your eyes can also be affected by the sun’s harmful rays?
You naturally spend a lot of time outdoors, if you are a fisherman. Over time, if your eyes are not protected, long-term exposure to the sun’s harmful UV rays can cause diseases like cataracts or macular degeneration which can cause permanent loss of sight. Cataracts and macular degeneration are just two of the harmful effects of long-term exposure to UV
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Eyestrain - Exposure to sunlight can cause eyestrain to develop over time. Ever notice when you are in direct sunlight how your eyes naturally squint in an effort to reduce the amount of light entering? Doing this for all day can contribute to eyestrain and result in headaches.
Additionally, the glare from the sunlight hitting the water makes visibility poor, which will hurt your chances of catching the fish. Also the polarized sunglasses enable you to better see underwater objects and if you are fishing from a boat could prevent damage by allowing you to see obstacles under the water.
- Eye sunburn - Similarly to receiving sunburn on your skin, your eyes are also at risk for sunburn due to long exposure to direct sunlight. Sunburn is uncomfortable and painful, even for the eyes. This is why investing in good-quality polarized sunglasses with UV block is essential for fishing.
What do our experts recommend?
Our pro staff all agree that wearing polarized sunglasses while fishing is not just a fashion statement, but a necessity. Our pro-staffer Bradley Roy, who has had a successful fishing career, including earning the title of the youngest pro angler to fish a Bassmaster Elite Series event at just 19 years old, has his own signature Solar Bat polarized sunglasses.
The FL1, FL2, and FL3 sunglass styles are comfortable, while still designed to hold firmly on the face to protect against wind or any other sudden movement that could cause your sunglasses to slide down or worse yet to fall off. No worries if any of these three styles fall into the water as they all FLOAT. This line of floating sunglasses feature various polarized lens tints, including amber, gray, mossback green, amber/green mirror, gray ice blue mirror, and hi con yellow. Each of these lenses varies in light transmission percentage and are specific to a variety of on the water conditions.
So, if you want to be fully prepared for the fishing season ahead, get yourself some quality polarized sunglasses and if you really want to maximize your on the water performance, have more than one tint.