Polarized Glasses by Pete
Maina
Pete Maina tip: Polarized Glasses
Talk about a no – no; it’s like going muskie fishing without
long-nose pliers and quality hook cutters—if you don’t have
‘em—don’t go! Quality polarized glasses are an absolute must
for any good muskie or pike fisher. And, it goes well beyond
fishing-efficiency – to eye protection. You only get one set
of these eyeballs, and it’s best to do everything you can to
keep them healthy. It’s amazing how folks will spend tons of
money on boats, motors … on down to $30 + muskie lures – and
then spend 10 bucks on sun glasses (often not even certain
if they’re polarized). If protecting your eyes from harmful
glare isn’t reason enough, consider how many more fish you
are likely to catch with quality polarization. Oakley
polarized glasses (blue and amber lenses work well)
http://oakley.com/category/465 , to me, offer the best in eye
protection and polarization.
Top of the chain predators like muskie have a very high
propensity to “check out” their prey before striking. Being
low-density, any possible way to locate them (spotting them
resting, briefly following, or just a flash) is a huge
advantage. And, it’s extremely important to know of their
presence behind a lure as soon as possible – so that
attempts to trigger a strike (speeding up, twitching …) via
lure action can be made on the retrieve and near the boat –
leading right into a proper figure eight at boatside. Learn
to always concentrate on that water behind and below lures,
looking for approaching shapes, or anything different … at
times a simple change in water color will give away a fish’s
presence. There are so many other advantages as well – thing
you will just never see without quality polarized lenses
that can be huge factors: weed-type changes that create and
edge, holes and pockets in weeds; tall rocks or dips in
rocks (show up as distinct hue changes), submerged wood …
all of these things are fish holding zones, and therefore
should be specific targets for casting. It’s a huge factor.
I simple won’t fish without ‘em.
