Most anglers own multiple rod-and-reel combos, but some of them own only one pair of polarized fishing glasses. That’s a mistake that could be costing them fish.

In addition to helping anglers see into the water, polarized fishing glasses protect your eyes from the sun and flying hooks. I worked as a fishing guide in northern Minnesota for five summers, and one of my rules was everyone had to wear glasses of some sort for safety. To ensure everyone complied, I carried two loaner pairs of polarized fishing glasses in my boat.

I think you should own at least two lens colors, one of which should be yellow. Each lens color excels during specific situations.

• Yellow lenses are best for low-light conditions. This means the hours near sunrise and sunset, as well as heavily overcast days, regardless of whether it’s raining.
• Amber or copper lenses are best for spotting fish and underwater structure under bright skies in clear or slightly stained water.
• Gray lenses are a good all-around on-the-water choice for the brightest days.

In my experience, it’s more difficult to spot fish and underwater structure with gray lenses vs. amber ones. That said, I have buddies who are avid anglers who choose gray over amber while sight fishing. Like many things in life, personal preference rules the day.

Note: The lens colors I’ve mentioned above aren’t standard across sunglass brands. That is, companies often have their own lens color names, but the idea is the same. For example, Costa Del Mar has a “Choosing a Lens Color” page on its website that dives deep into the topic for its specific lens names/choices.

Within the Costa offering, its Green Mirror lens is a best seller with inland anglers (bass, pike, muskies, etc.), while its Blue Mirror is No. 1 with offshore anglers. Remember what I said about personal preference? I own both the green (Costa model Rafael) and blue (model Tico), and even though I fish only inland waters, I prefer Blue Mirror because it enhances but doesn’t change natural colors (trees, sky, etc.). This is the reason why some of my buddies wear gray lenses instead of amber or copper. With gray, all objects around you look the same (only more brilliant), while an amber or copper lens will change the color tone slightly. Yellow lenses change natural color tones even more.

As you go up in price, you generally will have more choices in lens color. For example, check out the extensive lens lineup from Wiley X (fishing glasses priced from $85 to $210). Many of its most popular men’s fishing glasses are available in a choice of five different polarized lenses.

If you can afford it, I suggest owning higher priced polarized fishing glasses in amber, copper or gray lenses because those are the ones you will wear the vast majority of your time on the water. Not only do higher priced fishing glasses feature better lenses, but they also have stronger frames. If you take care of them, they should last you for a very long time. For example, my primary fishing glasses (amber lenses) are nearly 25 years old and they are still in excellent shape.

As I stated earlier, there is a benefit to owning a yellow lens for low-light conditions. While you probably don’t want to spend $200 on a yellow lens offering that you won’t wear as your primary pair, you can find a decent model for $30 to $50. For example, the S11 Optics Clinch from Strike King sells for $33.99 and is available in Yellow Silver Mirror lens.

Polarized fishing glasses are a tool that will help you catch more fish. Period. They also protect your eyes from the sun’s harmful rays, as well as flying hooks. If you don’t own polarized glasses with a yellow lens, then it’ time to go shopping for a pair that will help you during low-light periods. You won’t wear yellow lens glasses as often as you do amber, copper or gray lenses, but when conditions are right (sunrise, sunset, dark days, etc.) you’ll enjoy the better view.