sunglasses!!!

[korean_bassmaster]

Hey guys,   I'm looking at buying a new pair of costa sunglasses, and was wondering what lens color u would recommend to get? I've heard that the amber color is a good choice. Agree or disagree?   I live in michigan, so the water clarity will range from clear to murky depending on the lake I fish.  Thanks for the help!

[Cheetam]

Silver mirror 580 lenses.

[korean_bassmaster]

Do u recommend the 580p or the 580g?

[t-bone]

You pay $50 more for the glass. I would assume they are better but I'm wondering if it is that noticeable.
I have 2 man-o-wars and love em. Like silver mirror a lot. Both are glass but I'm going to give the plastic a shot this year to see if the weight makes a difference.

[t-bone]

FYI - I think you can only get silver mirror in glass.

[Cheetam]

I have, and would recommend, the glass.

[MSURoss]

I would recommend the glass as well. I have had the 580g phantoms for several years now and wear them about 100 days of the year. The frame is very durable and the lenses are literally scratch free.

[Waterfoul]

Pros and cons of the P and G lenses:

P is much more shatter resistant (meets safety glasses standards).
P is lighter in weight.

G has better optics.

I have Costas with both lenses.  On a long day I prefer the plastic lens for the weight.  The optics difference between the two isn't that great that I've noticed.  But I don't have the best eyes either... in fact one of the major reasons I wear the plastic lenses more often other than weight is that I can really only see out of one eye... so I'm VERY protective of the other one (you'll never see me in a rubber band fight!).

[korean_bassmaster]

Does the weight of the glass compared to the plastic really make a difference? I wear a cheap plastic lensed pair of sunglasses  right now, so if id put on a glass lensed costas I notice the dif greatly?

[djkimmel]

You would probably get used to it but the good plastic is now pretty good. My eyes are very sensitive to poor lens thickness and I need a real strong prescription so I can only wear high quality glass or plastic.

I wouldn't recommend amber for all day every day unless your eyes handle lots of light well. They are really best for low light and haze/fog because the color lets through a lot - usually around 90%. I think they could be a problem during the bright part of the day for most people trying to sight fish because of how much light they let through.

Good side protection makes a big difference too because the more regular light that gets through to your eye from any direction, the poorer your vision into the water will be.

I have used vermillion for years. Lets through more light than browns and greys so pretty good in lower light, but blocks enough light that I don't get major eye strain headaches unless I fish in real bright sunlight for 4 or 5 days in a row. Then I switch to dark grey during the bright part of the day. Because of my prescription needs, I have not been able in the past to use wrap around frame. I have an old, out of stock model with side panels that let some light through. I guess they are much better at getting prescriptions into different shapes now but I haven't had the extra money to buy a new pair of prescription sunglasses in quite a few years.

My eyes are pale blue and real sensitive to light but the vermillion is great for sight fishing in Michigan because it brightens greens quite a bit - weeds and largemouth for example. Works pretty good for rocks and smallmouth too.

I have not tried any mirror colors. I read and hear mixed reviews about them. Maybe I'll get a chance to try some day. Some people say brown is good for sight fishing too. I haven't tried that either. I went with the vermillion because they were the best all around compromise available at the time for me.