First, what do polarized lenses do, and then we will discuss the benefits to anglers.
When light is reflected from a smooth surface such as water it is what is referred to as “horizontally polarized”, which simply means instead of being scattered in all directions, it is more focused in a horizontal direction, which causes intense and sometimes dangerous glare.
Polarized lenses block this type of glare or reflected light. When wearing polarized lenses, even on cloudy days you will notice the haze or halo is reduced or eliminated as well.
Polarized lenses will however, make it difficult, if not impossible in some cases, to see displays created by Liquid Crystal Displays (LCD’s) and LED displays on certain devices. The lenses may also make it more difficult to see your cell phone or GPS screen.
Maybe Your Fishing Skills Are Not the Reason For Your Bad Luck Could It Be Your Sunglasses?
Glare off the water will produce eye strain, which can lead to headaches. Fishing should not be painful, and so when it becomes a chore, your catch of the day may very well end up on someone else’s hook. If you wear polarized lenses you will notice a reduction in eye strain, and thus, less headaches caused by this strain.
Even when the sun is not shining, there will be glare off the water, and this glare will prevent you from seeing below the surface of the water. Being able to see under the surface is important for a number of reasons. You want to see the fish for one thing, and then any object such as a sunken log or branch that may snag the boat or your line. Dangers do lurk just below the surface and you need to be able to see them before disaster strikes.
Sight fishing is a technique used by many anglers, and it works well when bass fishing. Bass like hiding out in pockets of vegetation, and if you cannot see the pockets, because of the glare off the water, then you don’t know where to drop your line (s).
It wasn’t too many years ago that polarized lenses were considered a luxury. However, today you can buy polarize lenses relatively cheap, but you do get what you pay for, so shop carefully. You can buy fishing glasses specifically for anglers, but as long as the lenses are polarized any quality pair of glasses would suffice. You can’t assume all lenses are polarized so look for this designation.
You want the glasses to fit properly so they stay on your head, do not pinch the nose, or cause irritation on the sides of the head or the ear. Cheap glasses will fit poorly, so you may have to step up slightly from the bargain bin pairs on sale. This is not to say you have to spend a fortune on glasses however, and it may be worth your while to have more than one pair. Have a pair for the boat, car, and survival kit.
Take advantage of any equipment, skill, or knowledge that will help you become a better angler, because someday you may have to survival fish to stay alive. Again have a pair in your survival kit along with quality tackle for survival fishing.