The Best Barbel Baits - (Complete UK Guide On The Best Baits For Barbel Fishing)

Boilies for barbel? You bet! These actually tick a lot of barbels boxes and can be really effective.

Something like Sticky Baits The Krill would work really well.

For a start, they are naturally coloured, putting even the wariest barbel at its ease.

Second, they are pretty easy to hook. Squidgy baits may work well, but they can be a real pain to rig up and cast. Setting up boilies is easy.

Finally, Yup, they absolutely stink. That's a good thing. These boilies release their scent slowly, creating an attractive trail leading all the way to your rig.

Boilies are good for more than just barbel too. Why not take a look at some of our other boilie suggestions for carp?

Spam… Shoulder of pork and ham? Nope, that's far too fancy. It actually stands for "special pressed American meat".

Now, you might not think it is so special, but the barbel love it.

The beauty of spam is that it is cheap, easy to store, and you can cut it into different shapes as an additional benefit.

Want a couple of top tips?

Don't go with cubes. Every man and his dog has been doing that since Noah had a rowing boat. And the barbel will have seen it before. Instead, go for a more rustic look.

Our second tip?

If you are struggling with the cast, put a blade of grass or straw between the bend of your hook and your chunk of meat for better security.

Check out this video that offers some tips on how to keep spam or luncheon meat on the hair when fishing for barbel... 

Video on how we would attach spam / luncheon meat to a fishing hook hair

If you've got maggots that are a little past their sell-by date, don't despair. Barbel will go crazy for casters.

The good news is that you can freeze them too, meaning barbel fishing whenever you like.

Casters do have a little pong about them, and when pricked with the hook, release a little juice into the water, which barbel seem experts in honing in on.

Bonus tip: When hooking casters in a pair, hook one through the tail the other through the head. This will stop your hook from spinning and twisting your line in the current.

Feed these little and often for the best results, and have a bait box full close at hand. The easiest way to do this? Check out some of these fishing chairs.

Want to try something that the barbel hasn't seen before but is super effective?

Give paste a go!

Aside from being super stinky and easy to rig up, it's also super convenient to carry. Pastes such as Sonubaits one to one are a great solution.

Just add water and give it a mix. Need it a bit thicker? Add a little more of the good stuff.

And there's more.

Paste gives you the perfect opportunity to combine baits. Add a few breadcrumbs, a handful of casters, pellets or even some exotic flavouring for maximum effect!

Something fishy is going on here, and that is a good thing.

Remember how we said fish smells can win the day when it comes to barbel fishing. This is exactly the kind of thing we had in mind.

Marine halibut pellets, in particular, are super effective barbel bait. The smell drives them wild, not to mention that there is a good chance when fishing stocked waters that something similar was used to rear them.

The above pellets are available in various sizes, meaning you can bait your swim with the smaller pellets and leave one huge juicy offering right in the middle… Which also happens to contain your hook.

This bait also works wonders for carp. For more carp baits, swing by this article.

There's a reason the stereotypical angler is always depicted as messing around with worms. They really do work!

Lobworms are one of the best barbel baits around.

Do you know what we love? They are absolutely free. You'll notice when handling worms, they have a strong, musty smell. This is exactly what the barbel seem to love too!

Lobworms keep for a good while in fresh soil. Oh, and don't throw away the smaller ones. They are great for mixing with paste to create an all in one (and slightly wriggly) bait.

Checkout this video on hooking lob worms for barbel fishing. Please note we would use smaller hooks than the ones shown in the video. Size 8 would be the largest hook we would use.

Video on how we would attach a lob worm to a hook when barbel fishing

You'll need some serious muscle to battle a barbel and what better way to do that than to invest in some dumbells.

No, not the gym kind. We are allergic to sweat, thanks very much.

We are talking about one of the best barbel baits around.

Remember how we said that barbel can be a little wary around things they've seen before?

We challenge you to find any else with a hook bait shaped like a dumbbell.

These little powerhouses are loaded with a special flavour concentrate that is specifically loved by barbel.

Moreover, due to their consistency, they are pretty resilient and won't be picked apart by silver fish on the way down…

Ah, maggots, the old favourite.

Is there a species that hasn't been caught using them? What we do know is that they are one of the best barbel baits around.

Try varying the colour or for really hard fished waters, go all-natural for devastating results.

Barbel will pick single maggots. But if you are being bothered by smaller species like roach or dace, consider adding three or even four to a hook.

Maggots are such versatile bait. They work particularly well with ground bait stuffed into a feeder. They wriggle out bit by bit, ensuring you have a lovely trail leading up to your rig. For more feeder tips, take a look over here.

The type of cheese is up to you.

But here's our advice.

Go for something strong and smelly. Mild isn't going to cut it. Our particular favourites (speaking about fishing for barbel, not on a ploughman's) include: -

• Strong and mature cheddar
• Blue stilton
• A lump of brie (leave it in the sun to get maximum pong)
• Gorgonzola

And if you want our secret 'special' weapon for the best cheese to fish for barbel, give spicy Mexicana a try.

This is loaded with chilli oil, which really seems to pique the barbel's interest.