TEST DRIVE
TEST DRIVE IS A SERIES SPOTLIGHTING EYEWEAR PUT TO WORK BY INDIVIDUALS WHOSE VISION MAKES THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PLAYING AND WINNING.

This month, Eyecare Business caught up with Bassmaster Elite Series and FLW Tour professional bass angler Casey Ashley from Donalds, SC, who wears Costa’s Corbina style with copper 580G lenses to see more clearly in competition. Costa’s color-enhancing 580 lenses block yellow light from entering the eye, eliminating reflective glare and protecting against harmful UV rays, company representatives note. The technology allows Ashley to see through the water more clearly to spot fish faster, an asset when it comes to weigh-in time at the world’s biggest bass fishing tournaments.

“I was competing in the Bassmaster Elite Series Tournament on Lake Dardanelle in Russellville, AR,” says Ashley. “It was drawing closer to the end of the tournament, and I needed to bring in some fish if I was going to finish strong. With about an hour left in the tournament, I moved over to a deeper bank with an isolated rock—and because I was wearing my Costas with copper 580 lenses, I could see through the muddy water and saw a fish there. I was able to catch that fish (which was more than four pounds) and stayed there to catch more than 20 pounds in 40 minutes in that one area. The sunglasses were a crucial piece of gear for me in that tournament.”

INFO: costadelmar.com

“I’m partially color blind. Colors close to each other on the spectrum—reds, browns, oranges—all look the same to me. When I’m wearing Costa’s copper 580 lenses, it allows enough light in while blocking the yellow light, so I’m able to distinguish between individual colors better. It’s an absolute necessity for me when I’m fishing in murky lakes to be able to make out the different colors under the water. Costa’s copper lenses help me do just that.” — CASEY ASHLEY