# Lens color for inshore sight fishing?



## bourbon (Feb 24, 2011)

Time for new pair of Smith ChromoPop lenses. Looking for advice on lens color for inshore sight fishing for red fish. Mostly SC coast but occasionally NC and eventually LA.

I have been using brown but curious if anyone has had the chance to compare brown with bronze mirror? Or perhaps other thoughts?

I might be overthinking it but there is no room at the front of my buddy’s boat (or on the platform) for someone that can’t see the fish so I’m looking for every edge.

Thanks!

(I also just found a similar thread on the same topic - sorry for the repeat)


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## jamie (Jan 22, 2016)

no experience with the smith. 
I'm a Huge fan of the Costa 580 green glass lens
https://www.costadelmar.com/us/en/performance-technology/lenses


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## eightwt (May 11, 2017)

Like an amber. Good contrast.


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## Tarpon tickler (Jul 15, 2019)

The chromapop+ polarized brown are the best lenses I’ve used to date. The newer + version are noticeably better than the previous chromapop brown. I still use both and side by side the difference is minimal but definitely there. 
For the inshore I do in solid brown water to clear water over sand the brown seems to be the best for me so far. The greens and blues seem to be better offshore or clear water over really light bottom. For me anyway, everyone’s eyes are different.


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## Fishshoot (Oct 26, 2017)

I have yellow for morning, rose ignitor, amber and blue. No one pair is going to cover all conditions. I buy glasses exclusively through Sierra trading post so typically end up paying $70-100 for smiths or costas.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Copper lens green mirror for shallow flats full sun. Green and orange are opposite colors so green mirrors make redfish pop out like 3D. 
Grey lens silver mirror for low light and cloudy days. Grey lens blue mirror offshore and deeper water full sun.


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## crboggs (Mar 30, 2015)

Copper / amber base lens with green mirror.


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## Cliff (Oct 13, 2016)

I have Costa Silver Mirror glasses that I use when the water is tea colored or tinted in any way and think they are fantastic. I have the green mirrored lens for the blue water. Because I am often fishing at first light, a lens that maximizes light is really important to me. So considering the question is about in-shore-if the water you fish is colored or you fish when the sun is low I prefer silver/amber to the blue/green.


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## 8w8n8 (Sep 30, 2017)

… Costa Copper Silver Mirror at dawn and for the rest of a sunny day Costa Green Mirror/Copper Base … full disclosure, I do not wear glasses (except for readers, 1.5X) and am not restricted to driving with corrective lenses for my state drivers license, but at the same time my eye sight is not a perfect 20/20 … I opted to get prescription Costas' for the slight correction I needed and it made all the difference in the world, even comparing them to non-prescription Costas … for the past 5 years even my guide has commented on how I'm seeing fish a lot better than before …


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## sidelock (Jan 31, 2011)

I have several Smith glasses including Techlite Polarchromic in both copper and copper mirror, Chromapop brown and bronze as well as the Low Light Ignitor and the Low Light Ignitors are my go to day in and day out even on the brightest days. Do not confuse these with their Polarchomic Ignitors.


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## MatthewAbbott (Feb 25, 2017)

sidelock said:


> I have several Smith glasses including Techlite Polarchromic in both copper and copper mirror, Chromapop brown and bronze as well as the Low Light Ignitor and the Low Light Ignitors are my go to day in and day out even on the brightest days. Do not confuse these with their Polarchomic Ignitors.


 I am


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

Brown and amber I think there the same but work


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## numbskull (Jan 30, 2019)

I hate to admit it, given what I paid for them in prescription lens, but I'm convinced these green mirror lens spook fish while wading and I regret not getting a plain amber/brown with an anti-reflective coating.


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## jsnipes (May 1, 2011)

This year, I've started wearing 'low light' glasses in 95% of conditions and think i can see better than using amber/brown.

I wear Maui's so specifically talking about the "Maui HT" as the low light lens vs. the "HCL Bronze" that I used to wear (and still occasionally wear)


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## SomaliPirate (Feb 5, 2016)

I use bronze mirror Chromapops for basically everything because I'm poor and can't afford multiple pairs. They work pretty well in most conditions. They're definitely better than the blue mirror Costas I had previously. Those things were like welders glass. I couldn't see a damn thing unless it was noon on a sunny day.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

numbskull said:


> I hate to admit it, given what I paid for them in prescription lens, but I'm convinced these green mirror lens spook fish while wading and I regret not getting a plain amber/brown with an anti-reflective coating.


I’ve never had a problem catching fish and green mirror lenses are all I’ve worn. You’re doing something else wrong, don’t blame your lens selection...


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## crboggs (Mar 30, 2015)

I'm not sure wearing the low light igniter types lenses in full sun is good for your eyes.


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## numbskull (Jan 30, 2019)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> I’ve never had a problem catching fish and green mirror lenses are all I’ve worn. You’re doing something else wrong, don’t blame your lens selection...


I do lots of things wrong and have spooked loads of fish in every way possible but, regardless of your self-professed prowness at catching fish, my experience is different and I'm convinced that if you wade for bonefish in shallow water then the reflection off the mirror lens can be a significant factor.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

numbskull said:


> I do lots of things wrong and have spooked loads of fish in every way possible but, regardless of your self-professed prowness at catching fish, my experience is different and I'm convinced that if you wade for bonefish in shallow water then the reflection off the mirror lens can be a significant factor.


I catch bonefish all the time wearing green mirror lenses. Here’s one from Monday.


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## LowHydrogen (Dec 31, 2015)

crboggs said:


> I'm not sure wearing the low light igniter types lenses in full sun is good for your eyes.


You know, I think the same thing, I wear sunglasses all the time. Eyes hurt in bright sun if I don't. Wore 11 shade with sunglasses under my hood when I welded, when other guys were typically wearing a 9 or 10. Maybe it's conditioning.

Then I think about people like my Dad that has worked on the water his entire life and never worn sunglasses but @ 76 can still see buoys on the horizon that I need binoculars to see.... sometimes I wonder if he just knows exactly where it is and is just messing with me.

Maybe it varies from person to person what they need. 38 and still don't need glasses, happy about that.


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## 8w8n8 (Sep 30, 2017)

https://www.hatchmag.com/articles/best-fishing-sunglasses-2019/7714597

… this should be fun ...


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## texasag07 (Nov 11, 2014)

Low light all day for me the detail they provide in most scenarios especially in clearer water is unsurpassed. Only time I swap to a normal amber lense is when running into direct sun.


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## EdK13 (Oct 3, 2013)

Rose Coloured lenses for recent membs. Without a FN doubt. Look good for it.. must negate the green glare spooks spooky fishies styles by any means necessary. They literally scare everything.


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## bourbon (Feb 24, 2011)

Appreciate all the thoughtful comments. Interesting topic with some excellent insight on here. (Notably, the best comments on the www are found on this forum. I found a few other sources but cheers to Microskiff for being the overall best source of info for the topic.)

Here are my general observations from spending way too much time researching (Smith lenses for redfish sight fishing in the Carolinas.)

brown - classic lens color, can’t go wrong. Maybe a bit dark in some circumstances. From my personal experience with Chromopop brown, this is an excellent choice.

Copper - another solid choice, preferred by many.

Rose - a sleeper favorite of some. Noting EdK13 above and comments from another NC redfish guide suggesting this is his top choice.

Ignitor- a favorite of some, especially in low light. 

Chromatic (light adjusting) - also a favorite of some

Bronze mirror - lots of positive review, including from one guy who said he owned most of the Smith lens colors and this was his favorite for sight fishing red fish.

At least on the copper/bronze/brown spectrum, it is probably tough to say a person would see the fish with one but not the other. There are so many variables throughout the day (water color, bottom color, weed color, sun, clouds, time of day, etc) that the “best” might vary minute by minute.

I’m also impressed with the Smith warranty. I had broken my brown Guide’s Choice glasses. Smith warranty gave me 60% off to replace them. (In the meantime, I had already bought a pair of Smith Captain’s choice in brown to replace them for an intervening trip)

Cheers.


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