SPECIALIST HOOKBAITS
Boilies now dominate barbel fishing. These big, long-lasting baits are not only relatively small-fish-proof, but they will stay on all night.
Several companies produce dedicated barbel boilies, although most carp baits are also great for barbel. Anglers tend to favour fishmeal-based savoury boilies for barbel, but if you want to stand out from the crowd – especially in autumn – then super-sweet baits can work equally well.
Candy Nut Crunch has worked well for me, being a combination of nut extracts with sweeteners that the barbel adore.
I always adapt my boilies in some way. This could be something as simple as removing the outer skin to produce a barrel-shaped bait that leaks more flavour. A paste wrap is another winner that gives the hookbait much more attraction. I also have some boilies stored in a tub of hemp oil. You can leave baits standing in this nutty extract for several weeks to allow it to be absorbed into the skin of the bait.
Another tip that can bring more bites is to tip your boilie with a piece of buoyant plastic corn. This is a ploy taken straight from the carp anglers’ workbook, but it’s equally effective for barbel. Even though they cannot see food as it enters their mouths I believe that they will often spot a boilie from some distance away, so making it stand out can help them to find it faster.