BassBlaster

Eyeblack: Bassin’s Last Logo Frontier?

(Bassmaster.com photo)

A BassParade (or is that BassBlaster?) reader who goes by the handle Olebiker hipped me to this pic of Matt Greenblatt “wearing eye black like he’s going to play center field in an afternoon ball game” – except he was in a boat on the St. Johns River.

My question, maybe yours is: Does that eyeblack stuff really work? And if so, what does it do?

A little Google-enhanced surfing later, and the answer seems to be:

1. The stick-on eye black doesn’t work – doesn’t do anything but make you look like you were hit by two coots running down the lake.

2. The greasepaint eye black does work – a little:

> This article from the ultra-conservative New York Times (lol) says one study “found a small but statistically significant improvement in contrast sensitivity and glare reduction for participants who wore the eye grease, but not for those who wore antiglare stickers.”

> This study says that “contrast sensitivity” for folks wearing eyeblack was better…sort of: “The use of eye black significantly improved contrast sensitivity, though only by a small degree.” Huh?

> Apparently blue-eyed folks don’t get as much benefit.

In other words, the #1 reason to wear it in sports is…to look cool and feel tough.

So forget about it when you’re fishing – UNLESS you’ve sold every square inch of your sponsorable stuff and are looking for another way to make a few pennies (and maybe formulate your own unique bassin’ look). Give you a head start: You can order the adhesive, plastic eyeblack with logos on it here.

But seems like if you put logos on it it could actually have the reverse effect. Ah well.

After selling that, you may only have shoelaces or shoe uppers left.

More

> Just about to post and found this link. Apparently Matt swears it works (that’s all that matters) and has the Carrot Stix logo on there…a little small!

9 Comments

9 Comments

  1. Chance

    March 27, 2012 at 4:14 pm

    That is about stupid if you ask me. Ever hear of sunglasses? But,it has gotten him attention and his sponsor that he had on them mentioned, so it worked for what he really wanted it to do. But, it is still really stupid. The reason players wear them is so it will cut down on the glare and not have to wear sunglasses. Let’s see him wear them when the sight fishing is on and no sunglasses then I’ll be impressed!

  2. Scotty Melvin

    March 27, 2012 at 4:32 pm

    I was wondering if you were gonna get to this. You beat me. It won’t last long. Unless some guys can’t get sunglasses sponsorhips. Every time I see someone with those things on, I think of Tebow. I wonder if Tebow is a bass fisherman? Hmmmmmmmm…..

  3. Steve Adams

    March 27, 2012 at 5:09 pm

    From the picture, it looks like he may have been wearing glasses on top of it. Whatever. He got his picture in the Bass Parade too!

  4. Jay

    March 27, 2012 at 5:12 pm

    I think it was just a sight fishing deal to cut down on glare.

  5. Chad Keogh

    March 27, 2012 at 6:15 pm

    I thought their $300 sunglasses were there to increase contrast (polarization)?

  6. paul zuest

    March 27, 2012 at 9:16 pm

    well…. i bought the rototail to try but im not “buying” this eye eyeblack thing. its the new alice (santee) cooper look.

  7. Dick "Olebiker" Durbin

    March 28, 2012 at 9:20 am

    I served as a marshall at Okeechobee last week and Matt still had the eyeblack on. Since you mentioned coots, I was in Cliff Prince’s Sterling on Friday heading down around Moorhaven at around 70 mph, when a coot missed my head by less than a foot. I’m not sure which one of us would have come out worse had it hit me.

  8. Matt Greenblatt

    April 15, 2012 at 9:10 am

    Hey guys Elite angler Matt Greenblatt here. I was reading your posts and just wanted to check in. The eyeblack went along with my sunglasses. We pull up hoodies and draw them as tight as they will go or wear the biggest hat we can find along with the hoodie and glasses. ANYTHING to cut down on the light. When fishing against the Van Dam’s and Clunn’s of the bass fishing world I’ll take every advantage I can get. I will tell you straight because that’s who I am. Fishing has a ton to do whith your mind and your confidence. The eyeblacks from eyeblacks.com give me just a little more and if they help me catch just one more fish, in my job that could be $100,000 in my pocket. Would you wear them for a 1 in 98 chance at that kind of purse? And telling it straight the sponsors and fans like it. I hope you all come out and see us if we are in your town I’d love to chat with you all…Heck I’ll even give you a pair of eyeblacks to try out…lol. Have a great day everyone.

    MG

  9. Scotty Melvin

    April 16, 2012 at 10:35 am

    Sponsor plugged.

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