How important are polarized sunglasses? 2025

zbigbadaaron reply :

Well how important are polarized sunglasses when fishing from shore? Also would the $20 sunglasses work well enough?

Hammer 4 reply :

Good polarized glasses are a must imho...Good glasses will let you see things, like fish that you can't see with out them..The cheap ones aren't opticly correct, which can cause distortion, and they usually don't have the uv protection good glasses have.

SirSnookalot reply :

Being a glass wearer I use clip ons and as long as they are polycarbonate they work fine and give you the UV protection needed with no distortion. I have had expensive polarized eye wear before and saw no significant difference for me to spend more money.

Some 20 - 30 years ago I had a good friend that was an optician, frames that cost retail $150 -200 then, his cost was $15- 20, can you say markup?......lol

If you go the prescription route go to an optician, not on line, especially if you have an unusual prescription or you are highly sensitive to the axis, as I am.

burleytog reply :

How important are your eyes? Do you use them on a regular basis?

SirSnookalot reply :

Quote
How important are your eyes? Do you use them on a regular basis?

If you are not wearing prescription lens, you're paying for the frames. My script has changed little over the last 20 years with a slight change for reading, that's old age. Health of your eyes is a different issue and my yearly opthamology exam reports no deficiency or disease, not bad for 65. My opthamologist has no problem with any type of polarized lenses I wear as long as they are polycarbonate with UV protection.

BassThumb reply :

Quote
Well how important are polarized sunglasses when fishing from shore? Also would the $20 sunglasses work well enough?

I tell people I'm fishing with in my boat that they must wear eye protection. PFDs are optional, but eye protection is a must. I have 2 pairs of $20 glasses for them to choose from, and 4 nicer pairs for myself. Some have very little tint, so I can wear them in low light and still be protected. I even have a very light pair of clear shop glasses for night fishing because the last thing in the world I want is to catch a Jitterbug in the face that I didn't see coming.

I had my lip split wide open by a flying crankbait a few years back. Had that hit me in the eye, even a closed eye, I'd be hurtin...bad.

Not to mention, they'll help you see cover and catch fish. Also, if you ever get into wading, you'll be able to see where you're stepping and that will keep you from falling.

bear7625 reply :

Not only are they a must for fishing, you should ware them driving or anywhere else that your in the sun. You can have many pairs of glasses, but you only have one pair of eyes. 8-)

bassnleo reply :

Ever notice how the sunlight fades colored items such as clothing?

Ever notice how quickly the sun fades a newly paved black asphalt road?

Wonder what it does to an unprotected eye?

I don't know about you but my eyes are covered with quality sunglasses every time I'm out. The ability to see in the water with polarized lenses is just a bonus.

Redlinerobert reply :

Agreed on the safety issue. I always wear glasses on the boat. I had a wayward hook from a missed hookset bounce off of my lense once. The thought of not having my glasses on still makes me wince.

SirSnookalot reply :

Agree on the safety issue and non glare properties of polarized lenses for various activities like fishing. Lenses made of polycarbonate contain UV protection whether they are ordinary glasses, sunglasses or polarized. According to WebMd when buying sunglasses they should have a UV protection of 99-100% and also state that pricier sunglasses or darker tint do not give you more UV protection.

I was just at the drug store and the polarized lens ( clip ons and flip ups all had stickers saying 100% UV protection. I'm not saying they will not scratch more or less and not fall apart any faster or slower but will give the same eye protection from UV.

http://www.webmd.com/fda/sun-safety-save-your-skin?page=2

NewAngler reply :

I think the OP was asking about the difference between polarized sunglasses and not? Not so much just the protection of the eyes.... I'm interested as well. I typically wear sunglasses when needed, but they're not polarized.

What difference will a polarized pair help over a normal pair of sunglasses?

Chris W reply :

Quote
Agreed on the safety issue. I always wear glasses on the boat. I had a wayward hook from a missed hookset bounce off of my lense once. The thought of not having my glasses on still makes me wince.

Had a good friend that had just set his glasses down almost dark, that caught a hook in the eye. About 1 year and 11 surgeries later he has about 80% vision left in that eye. He was out of work for almost this whole time because anything you do puts a strain on your eye. He could not lift anything at all, was on stool softeners for a year so he would not strain going to the bathroom. Does not matter what kind of glasses that you wear but wear something. I even use clear ones at night now I never did before this.

MSPbass reply :

Quote
What difference will a polarized pair help over a normal pair of sunglasses?

RWHusker. reply :

Polarized sunglasses are a must for spotting and seeing.

Thanks for spinning the thread to safety as I can set my glasses down as the sun goes down and I need to throw some clear ones in for safety.

GO BIG RED

zbigbadaaron reply :

I think I will get one. What brands and color do you recromend for general fishing?

Glenn reply :

I have a small head, so it's hard for me to find glasses that fit my face snug like they should. I went through a lot of glasses until I found Hobie polarized glasses. These things fit great, and they work really, really well. They're a bit pricey, but you're not thinking about price when you're out there fishing with them.

Here's a few articles that might help you decide which is right for you:

http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/fishing_glasses.html

http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/polarized_glasses.html

http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/sunglasses.html

http://www.bassresource.com/fishing_lures/sunglasses.html

http://www.bassresource.com/beginner/Fishing-glasses.html

bass or bass ? reply :

I've been using Cocoons for two years and love them.

DINK WHISPERER reply :

I remember fishing with my uncle who taught me to fish as a kid. He always stressed wearing eye protection in the boat. He would not let me go with him unless i wore glasses. Getting a pair that is comfortable to wear all day is crucial.

Joshua Vandamm reply :

On 3/20/2010 at 11:08 PM, Glenn said:

I have a small head, so it's hard for me to find glasses that fit my face snug like they should. I went through a lot of glasses until I found Hobie polarized glasses. These things fit great, and they work really, really well. They're a bit pricey, but you're not thinking about price when you're out there fishing with them.

Here's a few articles that might help you decide which is right for you:

http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/fishing_glasses.html

http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/polarized_glasses.html

http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/sunglasses.html

http://www.bassresource.com/fishing_lures/sunglasses.html

http://www.bassresource.com/beginner/Fishing-glasses.html

Re: Hobie glasses, I'm considering these in the green-mirrored copper lenses for overcast days. Have you or anyone else tried these? Good choice for the price?

thx!

YoTone reply :

On 3/16/2010 at 4:16 AM, Chris W said:

Had a good friend that had just set his glasses down almost dark, that caught a hook in the eye. About 1 year and 11 surgeries later he has about 80% vision left in that eye. He was out of work for almost this whole time because anything you do puts a strain on your eye. He could not lift anything at all, was on stool softeners for a year so he would not strain going to the bathroom. Does not matter what kind of glasses that you wear but wear something. I even use clear ones at night now I never did before this.

thats a horrible story to read.

Joshua Vandamm reply :

Yea. Hadn't seen it. Wonder if it was his hook or someone else's

On 7/19/2017 at 4:02 AM, Jvanda1 said:

Re: Hobie glasses, I'm considering these in the green-mirrored copper lenses for overcast days. Have you or anyone else tried these? Good choice for the price?

thx!

Bumped so not lost point of question.

CTBassin860 reply :

On 7/19/2017 at 6:15 AM, Jvanda1 said:

Yea. Hadn't seen it. Wonder if it was his hook or someone else's

Bumped so not lost point of question.

Bumper no bumping...No swiping either

Joshua Vandamm reply :

What's swiping?

sorry. What do you do when a question gets lost in the feed then?

OnthePotomac reply :

I am also a cocoons fan being an eye glass wearer and I like the aviator size with the rubber seal to keep the sun and wind out of my eyes.. My eye surgeon told me to wear brown lens. Polarization is the difference in night and day for fishing and seeing under water.

22hertz reply :

Polarized sunglasses are very important.

They remove sun glare.

For me this does two very important things:

1. Allows me to see into the water

2. Reduces eye strain and the headaches and fatigue it causes.

I bought a cheap pair on amazon that turned out to be as good as my poly lense Oakley and Maui Jims. I originally bought them to fish with because I was worried about losing them over the side of my kayak, but they turned out to be just as good. My sunglasses with glass lenses have superior clarity but my polycarbonate lense Oakleys and Mauis Jims are not any better.

Here is what I bought

https://www.amazon.com/Duco-Sports-Polarized-Sunglasses-Glasses/dp/B00SMRN2DU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1500956373&sr=8-1&keywords=duco+sunglasses

Catt reply :

Polarized glass allows you to see things like stumps, logs, brush, grass, & bass below the surface of the water.

I'll take it a step farther, if you surprised with what you see under water with polarized switch to amber colored lenses & it will shock how much better you'll see compared to dark lenses. Amber significantly block blue light & enhance contrast & depth perception making them helpful for overcast, hazy and foggy conditions.

MichaelCopeland reply :

On 7/25/2017 at 6:26 PM, Catt said:

Polarized glass allows you to see things like stumps, logs, brush, grass, & bass below the surface of the water.

I'll take it a step farther, if you surprised with what you see under water with polarized switch to amber colored lenses & it will shock how much better you'll see compared to dark lenses. Amber significantly block blue light & enhance contrast & depth perception making them helpful for overcast, hazy and foggy conditions.

I'll have to check into some of those. Do they help with seeing into murkier water better? Can they be found at Wal Mart or would I need to look elsewhere?

Catt reply :

On 7/25/2017 at 8:41 PM, MichaelCopeland said:

I'll have to check into some of those. Do they help with seeing into murkier water better? Can they be found at Wal Mart or would I need to look elsewhere?

They help in any situation!

All my students bought Yum brand at Wally World for $5

MichaelCopeland reply :

On 7/25/2017 at 10:34 PM, Catt said:

They help in any situation!

All my students bought Yum brand at Wally World for $5

A while back I bought me some $4 Ozark Trail polarized sunglasses just for fishing. Not sure the lens color or even UV protection for that matter. They work ok, I guess. My regular pair of sunglasses broke so I use those as an all purpose pair. Really wanting to get a new pair just for fishing, though, and those Yum brand ones sound like a great deal. I sure hope they have some at the Wally Worlds around here. Thank you.

Joshua Vandamm reply :

On 7/25/2017 at 8:41 PM, MichaelCopeland said:

I'll have to check into some of those. Do they help with seeing into murkier water better? Can they be found at Wal Mart or would I need to look elsewhere?

No. Not in dirty water. They're not Predator heat vision. They'll protect your eyes from stray hooks...

mrpao reply :

I consider polarized glasses part of my arsenal, like I would my rod and reels.

I don't leave the dock without them. I have turned to boat around to go back and get them from the truck.

Also, I have found that cheaper glasses work just as well as the more expensive ones. Just keep them clean and scratch free.

Catt reply :

On 7/26/2017 at 7:49 AM, Jvanda1 said:

No. Not in dirty water. They're not Predator heat vision. They'll protect your eyes from stray hooks...

Amber lens absolutely help in dirty off colored water, ya might not be able to see the bottom but the contrast enhancement will allow to see more than your normal eye sight. You'll see dark spots they maybe grass, stumps, or logs.

Now my students started with $5 Yum glasses but then upgraded to whatever is their personal preferences.

Joshua Vandamm reply :

On 7/26/2017 at 8:26 AM, Catt said:

Amber lens absolutely help in dirty off colored water, ya might not be able to see the bottom but the contrast enhancement will allow to see more than your normal eye sight. You'll see dark spots they maybe grass, stumps, or logs.

Now my students started with $5 Yum glasses but then upgraded to whatever is their personal preferences.

I guess it depends on how dirty. If it's full of particulate/mud etc they can't make much difference.

When your lure vanishes to the naked eye as soon as it gets wet...

ive got nice amber lenses btw. Love em. Yellow also a must for me.

On 7/26/2017 at 8:04 AM, mrpao said:

I consider polarized glasses part of my arsenal, like I would my rod and reels.

I don't leave the dock without them. I have turned to boat around to go back and get them from the truck.

Also, I have found that cheaper glasses work just as well as the more expensive ones. Just keep them clean and scratch free.

In grey, and not super cheap I agree. But for everything else it's absolute night and day btw cheap and quality glasses. Cheap ones are never 100% clarity and that a huge thing.

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How important are polarized sunglasses? 2025

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