By David A. Brown
Special to BassFan


Consider that old fishing adage: Wind is your friend. We know that’s true, but we buttress the wisdom with the reality check: Too much of a good thing becomes a bad thing.

Same goes for sunlight. The fact is that fishermen need sunlight for a couple of key reasons. First, the solar stuff warms the water and makes fish active during certain periods. As the year progresses and the heat level increases, the sun will very quickly position fish in and around shadowy cover where they can be more easily pinpointed

On the operational side, sunlight helps us see our target – be it cover or the actual fish.

That being said, too much light – or, at least, unmanaged light – quickly becomes a detriment. Main concerns here are vision restriction, eye strain and the day-wrecking headaches that often follow long periods of uncomfortable squinting.

Conditions can change daily, if not hourly, so adapting throughout the day is just part of fishing. That breeze-blown chop in the morning might yield to a flat calm afternoon with a big glassy surface reflecting midday sunlight. You can’t change the reality of what nature serves us, but consider these points for dealing with glare.

Position Prudence

Look to the shoreline and you'll find trees, boat houses, docks, etc. creating bass habitat. Well, these features also create shadow pockets that lessen the glare and offer you better glimpses of your target area. It’s definitely a tradeoff, as you need light penetration for any level of subsurface visibility. However, there’s always a "sweet zone" where you have just enough solar illumination tempered by blending shadows to create those areas of optimal visibility.

These shadow pockets may not cover the entire area you want to fish, but take advantage of their visual benefits to note the important variables like water clarity, cover and fish positioning. Piece together key aspects of the day’s formula and the outline is likely to hold up in similar spots.

Example: Docks, particularly those with boat houses, present strong shadow lines behind which you’ll get a good look at what’s going on below the surface. Are bass holding on the edges or underneath? Any bluegill present? How about grass, brush or any other habitat features? Approaching from an angle other than what you’ll actually fish might allow a strategic pre-cast look.

Similarly, keep a close watch for transitional areas where lighter sandy bottom meets the edge of hydrilla or other vegetation. Such zones of strong contrast make it easier to detect fish movement in bright conditions.

“I always try to fish with the sun at my back because that cuts down on some of the glare,” said Bassmaster Elite Series pro Todd Faircloth. “It kind of acts like an umbrella.”



David A. Brown
Photo: David A. Brown

Todd Faircloth often uses the hood on a sweatshirt to achieve additional glare reduction.

On that point, one of the important side notes of glare management is that the intense light that causes glare also makes our shadows profoundly obtrusive. Peter Pan would’ve made a good bass fishermen, but for the rest of us, losing our shadow is not an option.

“With the sun at your back, you have to pay attention to your shadow,” he said. “You don’t want your shadow falling across what you’re about to fish because this will alert the fish to your approach and possibly spook them.”

Watch the Clock

It’s nice when we have a straight line of approach to a target area, but that’s not always the case. Bassmaster Elite Series pro Edwin Evers suggests working with the directional options to “clock” your shadow around to an unobtrusive position.

“You have to find the right angle,” Evers said. “With the sun, there’s always going to be a direction (from which) you can see farther. So once you establish that, then that’s how you need to approach your fish. Maybe it’s with the sun behind you or off to your side, but you just have to find the right angle.”

Early morning and late afternoon offer what photographers call “sweet light” – roughly daybreak until 9 a.m. and then again from about 5 p.m. until sundown. Season and sky conditions certainly influence this with varying degrees of atmospheric moisture, but pay attention to sun angles and you’ll develop an instinctive sense for when to expect different light periods.

“When the sun gets up high around noon, that’s when light penetration will be at its strongest,” Faircloth said. “That’s when you can see the best, but it’s also when you have the most glare.”

So, what can you do when the sunlight is most intense? Sometimes, solid objects can be your best friends, as their existing shadows can absorb yours.

“A lot of times, I’ll use boat docks or trees or bushes in the water to put them between me and the fish to camouflage myself – I keep those between me and a fish,” Evers said.

Shield Your Vision

In addition to the tactical stuff, effective sunlight management depends heavily on what you wear.

“First and foremost is a good polarized pair of sunglasses,” said Faircloth. “I like to use a style that covers the sides so glare can’t get in.”

Faircloth uses the Strike King S11 series glasses, which feature 11 layers of polarized technology that tailor the light spectrum to enhance visual clarity, reduce glare and prevent reflection of the rear of the lens. Knowing that he’ll likely face varying light conditions during an average day, Faircloth keeps multiple pairs of glasses with different lens colors on his boat. He prefers lighter colors like yellow in the mornings and moves to amber or gray for brighter midday periods.

FLW Tour pro Pete Ponds recalls a specific moment when his Vicious Vision polarized glasses made a significant difference in his day. During a postspawn period, he found an area flush with bass that were targeting bream beds. Spotting the beds through the glaring surface led him to a key pattern that boosted his tournament performance.

Hats are the requisite complement to quality eyewear, but mind these notables:

David A. Brown
Photo: David A. Brown

Pro anglers usually carry several pairs of sunglasses with different lens colors to combat varying light conditions.

Hats with lighter material under the bill tend to reflect more light toward your eyes, so look for hats with dark undersides. If you have a favorite hat with a light underside, a black permanent marker will change it to a light-repelling tone.

And when it comes to those cool, trendy flat-bill caps, Elite pro Gerald Swindle said they're much more than a fashion statement for him. Rather, the flat design fits snug against the frame of his sunglasses to lock out any glare that might sneak under a curved bill.

In seriously bright conditions, some anglers prefer wider, boonie-style hats for sight-fishing. Elite pro Ish Monroe likes the Simms Gore-Tex Sombrero, which offers full circumference sun-blocking with the option of folding up either or both sides via hook-and-loop connectors for the safari look.

"The wide brim reduces sunlight around my face and allows me to look out from a darker corridor,” Monroe said. “I use this along with Cocoons sunglasses which feature a frame that isolates my eyes from any light reflection. Together this setup allows me to keep my eyes wide open when I'm scanning for fish or shallow structure."

Pros like Faircloth and FLW Tour standout JT Kenney know the value of a hooded sweatshirt or tournament jersey. Pulling the hood up over their hat essentially adds side panels, which, coupled with hat and glasses, further isolates the face.

“That conceals my face and keeps the light from coming in,” Faircloth said. “I try to use a blue or a white (hoodie) – something that fits the sky background. I don’t want to use something that’s really bright because that stands out too much.”

Creature Comforts

Now, glare isn’t the only concern on bright days – you also need to plan for your comfort and protection from solar forces. Even on warm days, long-sleeve shirts and long pants are your best bet for keeping sun off your skin. Lightweight materials will prevent overheating, while the SPF built into many modern designs will prevent the sun from penetrating thin fabrics.

Simms, Columbia and other manufacturers now make lightweight shirts and pants in white/blue patterns that camouflage anglers by allowing them to blend into the sky above. As Monroe points out, the more you can distort your profile to a fish looking up, the easier it is to approach in bright conditions.

Lightweight gaiters like the original Buff are a handy item with many comfort options – neck protection, full-head masking, head band, etc. Today, branded versions are not hard to come by and used in concert with a cap and sunglasses, you can completely shield your face from the sun.

Note: These gaiters are also helpful in holding your sunglasses in place, should you ever find yourself without a neck strap.

Round out the package with lightweight sun gloves and you’ll keep cool while keeping yourself in the game. You can’t stop the glare, but you can lessen its impact on you and your fishing.