Pellets

As both hookbait and feed pellets have revolutionised barbel fishing since their introduction. This is partly because of their ease of storage and use, but also because barbel love eating them.

Trout and halibut pellets are the most commonly used for barbel, but others also work well. Small pellets are best for loose feed, while all sizes of pellets can be used as hookbaits attached to hair rigs in various ways and in various quantities.

Pellets can also be softened and used as a paste or a mix for use in a feeder with other baits.

Read more about using pellets...

Boilies

Barbel will take all manner of boilies. The usual spicy, savoury, fishy or meaty flavours work well, but fruity ones should not be ignored.

Bait sizes can vary from tiny to huge. Home-made or ready-made, frozen or shelf-life, all manner of boilies will catch barbel.

Popular years ago, paste baits have undergone a revival in recent years. Early pastes were made by mixing ingredients like cheese or sausage meat with a binding agent, often plain white bread or puff pastry mix. Modern pastes are made from all manner of substances such as ground trout pellets and boilie base mixes, using eggs as the binding agent.

Pastes can be moulded directly around hooks, or onto a holding device (a bead or a wire coil for example) tied to a hair rig.

Because pastes can be strongly flavoured they are often used in floodwater conditions.

Every angler who uses luncheon meat as bait has their own favourite brand. Most will work well enough, although various brands contain differing percentages of fat and vary in consistency and buoyancy.

Luncheon meat can be flavoured with all manner of substances, from curry or garlic powder to proprietary bait flavours.

Used in cubes, roughly torn lumps or 'pellets' cut with a punch luncheon meat can be fished directly on the hook or on a hair rig in bait sizes from tiny cubes up to half a tin!

Read more about using 'big meat' baits...

Sweetcorn

Usually thought of as a summertime bait sweetcorn is used as feed and hookbait (on the hook or hair rigged). The bright yellow grains can result in barbel spooking when this bait is used a lot on a fishery. Colouring the corn with food or bait dyes can prolong its effectiveness.

Artificial corn can be used as hookbait, either alone or in conjunction with real grains.

Maggots

Maggots need no introduction to most anglers. During the summer they are generally considered best used in quantity, with free offerings delivered via a blockend feeder. Regularly recasting to keep a trickle of bait going in can see the barbel becoming so intent on feeding that they will nudge and mouth the loaded feeder - sometimes as it falls through the water. In low water conditions in winter maggots can also be useful, but used more sparingly than in summer.

Hemp

Primarily used as an attractant, hempseed can also be used as a hookbait - either directly on small hooks, or on hair rigs tied to larger hooks. Artificial hempseed can be an easier to manage alternative as hookbait. Barbel can become preoccupied with hemp, so it is best used sparingly as feed, maybe mixed in with other baits. Hemp and casters are a classic combination, but hemp and small trout or halibut pellets are a modern alternative.

Read more about preparing hempseed...

Casters