The best of our range of baits for catching specimen barbel. Including boilies, pastes, Gloops, liquids, groundbait and hookbait extras (such as pop-ups and hard hookers) from The Hook Bait Company flavours range.

Whilst all of our hookbaits and loosefeed will catch barbel, some (such as Barbel 5 & Barbel Proactive) have been specifically created to target big barbel and others have proven themselves in testing and through anglers’ catches to be our best baits for barbel.

The best baits to catch specimen barbel, from the Hook Bait Company. Best barbel bait, boilies, pellets, pastes and groundbaits
Huge barbel like this LOVE our baits!

Many of our Field Testers and Consultants have landed barbel over 15lb on our baits – as have lots of our customers! On popular rivers like the Trent, Severn and Wye, our baits can be relied upon to produce the goods in all seasons. View some of the many barbel captures on our baits here.

The popularity of barbel fishing on rivers is increasing year on year; as is the average size of fish in many rivers. Whether you’re fishing a popular and pressured day ticket venue or a quiet syndicate stretch, offering a barbel bait that’s a little bit different can give you an edge. Often the larger, warier fish will slip up to someone offering a bait which is distinctive from the mass-produced boilies and pellets everyone else is using. On all venues, and in all seasons, it fills anglers with confidence knowing they’re fishing with a high quality, nutritionally balanced, highly palatable bait – which is why many serious barbel anglers choose boilies and baits from the Hook Bait Company.

Whether you are looking for a good bait to catch your first barbel, or you’re a seasoned specimen hunter looking for a serious edge to increase your barbel PB, the following ranges of baits have proven our best baits for barbel fishing:

Targeting another species? Take a look at our Best Baits for Catfish, Best Baits for Chub, Best Baits for Carp and Best Baits for Tench & Bream.

The best of our range of baits for catching specimen tench and bream. Including boilies, pastes, Gloops, liquids, groundbait and hookbait extras (such as pop-ups and hard hookers) from The Hook Bait Company flavours range.

Whilst all of our hookbaits and loosefeed will catch tench & bream, some have been specifically created to target big tench and others have proven themselves in testing and through anglers’ catches to be our best baits for bream & tench. View some of the many tench and bream captures on our baits here.

We designed our Tincaberry baits from scratch (in conjunction with Drennan Cup winner, Iain McDonald) specifically to catch tench and bream. And boy did they hit the mark! The reputation of Tincaberry is growing each year and it has already accounted for tench to over 12lb! Tincaberry has quickly established itself as one of the finest tench baits on the market, and is used & endorsed by many members of the Tenchfishers specimen group.

Tincaberry boilies are available right down to 10mm in size and we have pop-ups available too.

Besides Tincaberry, you’ll find the selection below are all great tench & bream baits. Whether you are looking for a good bait to catch your first tench, or you’re a seasoned specimen hunter looking for a serious edge to increase your bream PB, the following ranges of baits have proven our best baits for bream fishing and tench fishing:

Targeting another species? Take a look at our Best Barbel Baits, Best Chub Baits, Best Carp Baits and Best Catfish Baits.

The best of our range of baits for catching specimen catfish (wels / silurus / siluria). Including boilies, pastes, Gloops, liquids, groundbait and hookbait extras (such as pop-ups and hard hookers) from The Hook Bait Company flavours range.

Whilst all of our hookbaits and loosefeed will catch catfish (wels / silurus / siluria and more exotic species such as Amazon red tail catfish, Mekong catfish, chao phraya and wallago leeri catfish – stocked in many Thai fishing resorts, as well as their native waters), some (such as Catfish Pro) have been specifically created to target big catfish, whilst others have proven themselves in testing and through anglers’ catches to be our best baits for catfish. View some of the many catfish captures on our baits here.

The best baits to catch specimen catfish, from the Hook Bait Company. Best catfish bait, including Catfish Pro boilies - our specialist boilies developed to target catfish
Quality catfish like this LOVE our baits!

Catfish angling is growing exponentially in popularity, as more and more venues stock cats, making them more accessible than ever before, to all anglers. Wels can be caught on a wide variety of baits – from naturals such as worms, leeches and live/deadbaits to pellets and boilies.

On venues which stock large carp alongside catfish, it’s common practice to fish mid-size boilies or pellets on a hair rig (usually popped-up or “Snowman-style”) on heavy gear – giving a good chance of tempting catfish or specimen carp. Our Catfish Pro baits are perfect for this style of fishing. They are available in a range of sizes from 12mm through to a much more selective 24mm “Donkey Choker” size and can be fished as singles or multiples on a hair. They are available in a choice of two catfish-enticing flavours: Crab & Anchovy and Salmon & Squid. We also sell fluoro pop-ups in this range.

Whether you are looking for a good bait to catch your first catfish, or you’re a seasoned specimen hunter looking for a serious edge to increase your catfish PB, the following ranges of baits have proven our best baits for catfishing:

Targeting another species? Take a look at our Best Baits for Barbel, Best Baits for Chub, Best Baits for Carp and Best Baits for Tench & Bream.

The best of our range of baits for catching specimen chub. Including boilies, pastes, Gloops, liquids, groundbait and hookbait extras (such as pop-ups and hard hookers) from The Hook Bait Company flavours range.

Whilst all of our hookbaits and loosefeed will catch chub, some have been specifically created to target big chub whilst others have proven themselves in testing and through anglers’ catches to be our best baits for chub. View some of the many chub captures on our baits here.

The best baits to catch specimen chub, from the Hook Bait Company. Best chub bait, including The Big Cheese paste, Flakey, River Secret boilies and more
Specimen chub like this LOVE our baits!

The Hook Bait Company began by developing River Secret to target chub and we’ve used our knowledge and experience in the years since to create and develop new flavours and recipes which chub will readily eat year-round. Our The Big Cheese Flakey and paste was a revelation for chub anglers – a cheese paste as easy to make as pastry-based mixes, but with a great number of advantages.

Many flavours and baits in our range have accounted for chub over 7lb and we remain the go-to brand for chub anglers looking for quality specialist chub baits.

Whether you are looking for a good bait to catch your first chub, or you’re a seasoned specimen hunter looking for a serious edge to increase your chub PB, the following ranges of baits have proven our best baits for chub fishing:

Targeting another species? Take a look at our Best Baits for Barbel, Best Baits for Catfish, Best Baits for Carp and Best Baits for Tench & Bream.

The best of our range of baits for catching specimen carp. Including boilies, pastes, Gloops, liquids, groundbait and hookbait extras (such as pop-ups and hard hookers) from The Hook Bait Company flavours range.

Whilst all of our hookbaits and loosefeed will catch carp, some (such as Savay Maple Nut and Betaine Pro) have been specifically created to target big carp and others have proven themselves in testing and through anglers’ catches to be our best baits for carp. View some of the many carp captures on our baits here.

The best baits to catch specimen carp, from the Hook Bait Company. Best carp bait & boilies for carp fishing
Big carp like this LOVE our baits!

Carp fishing these days is big business and there is a mind-boggling range of boilies and cap baits on the market. On popular and pressured day ticket venues, offering carp a bait that’s a little bit different can give you an edge. Often the larger, warier fish will slip up to someone offering a bait which is distinctive from the mass-produced boilies and pellets everyone else is using. On all venues, but especially on low-stock, difficult waters, it’s vital to fish with a high quality, nutritionally balanced, highly palatable bait – which is why many serious carpers choose boilies and baits from the Hook Bait Company.

Whether you are looking for a good bait to catch your first carp, or you’re a seasoned specimen hunter looking for a serious edge to increase your carp PB, the following ranges of baits have proven our best baits for carp fishing:

Targeting another species? Take a look at our Best Barbel Baits, Best Chub Baits, Best Tench & Bream Baits and Best Catfish Baits.

Nimrod from the Hook Bait Company is one of the best all-round baits on the market for barbel, chub, carp and tench. It is available as boilies, barrels, pop-ups, pellets, paste, groundbait, Gloop and liquid additives. Nimrod is also available with garlic, scopex and salmon livers flavours

Nimrod, Garlic Nimrod, Scopex Nimrod and Salmon Livers Nimrod boilies, chops, pop-ups, pellets, paste, groundbait, Gloop and liquid additives from the Hook Bait Company - superb specialist baits for barbel, chub, carp and specimen fish

Nimrod is our flagship bait. Developed as a big fish bait to cater for carp, tench, barbel and chub, Nimrod has exceeded expectations in all fields but particularly with barbel.

During extensive trials our testers caught 100’s of double figure barbel from venues such as the Upper Severn, Hampshire Avon, Dorset Stour, Yorkshire Wharfe, Dove, Derbyshire Derwent and of course the Trent.

Without giving away all our secrets we can divulge the following ingredients: salmon meal, blended meat meals, various milk derivatives, selected spices and meat flavourings.

Nimrod Products:

Boilies, Barrels & Chops

Base Mix (1kg base mix makes 1.4kg of boilies)

Hook Bait Extras (Pop-ups, Hard Hookers & Flakeys)

Groundbait /Stick Mix, Pellets & Paste

Liquids - A-tract (Pellet & Groundbait additive), Bait Soak (Bait glug), Gloop (Extra thick and sticky long lasting bait glug) Oil (Heavy density additive or soak for all baits)

Garlic Nimrod Products:

Based on the tremendous results achieved by young Dan Thorpe, targeting big barbel on the River Trent over the Winter period, we have now included Garlic to the Nimrod range. Garlic Nimrod certainly helps to put more barbel on the bank in less than favourable conditions.

Dan Thorpe with a Trent barbel 15lb13oz caught on Garlic Nimrod 01

Boilies, Barrels & Chops

Base Mix (1kg base mix makes 1.4kg of boilies)

Hook Bait Extras (Pop-ups, Hard Hookers & Flakeys)

Groundbait /Stick Mix, Pellets & Paste

Liquids - A-tract (Pellet & Groundbait additive), Bait Soak (Bait glug), Gloop (Extra thick and sticky long lasting bait glug) Oil (Heavy density additive or soak for all baits)

Scopex Nimrod Products:

New to the Nimrod range are Scopex Nimrod, and Salmon Livers Nimrod. These baits are aimed more for the carp community as these are proven carp catching flavours. Adding them to our fantastic Nimrod range gives a complete rounded profile.

Boilies, Barrels & Chops

Base Mix (1kg base mix makes 1.4kg of boilies)

Hook Bait Extras (Pop-ups, Hard Hookers & Flakeys)

Groundbait /Stick Mix, Pellets & Paste

Liquids - A-tract (Pellet & Groundbait additive), Bait Soak (Bait glug), Gloop (Extra thick and sticky long lasting bait glug) Oil (Heavy density additive or soak for all baits)

Salmon Livers Nimrod Products:

Boilies, Barrels & Chops

Base Mix (1kg base mix makes 1.4kg of boilies)

Hook Bait Extras (Pop-ups, Hard Hookers & Flakeys)

Groundbait /Stick Mix, Pellets & Paste

Liquids - A-tract (Pellet & Groundbait additive), Bait Soak (Bait glug), Gloop (Extra thick and sticky long lasting bait glug) Oil (Heavy density additive or soak for all baits)

Nimrod - boilies, paste, pellets, groundbait, Gloop and liquids - barbel bait, chub bait, carp fishing bait from the Hook Bait Company

Spicy Meat Pro boilies, chops, pop-ups, pellets, paste, groundbait, Gloop and liquid additives from the Hook Bait Company - superb specialist baits for barbel, chub, carp and specimen fish

Spicy Meat Pro is a protein packed food bait that was hugely successful during over two years of trials, and even more successful since, accounting for several personal best captures of barbel to over 15 pounds.

As the name suggests the bait is really rich and meaty, infused with our highly attractive blend of oils and spices. In water the bait lets of a steady stream of attractants creating a haze around the bait that is particularly attractive to barbel, tench and carp.

Spicy Meat Pro Products:

Boilies, Barrels & Chops

Base Mix (1kg base mix makes 1.4kg of boilies)

Hook Bait Extras (Pop-ups, Hard Hookers & Flakeys)

Groundbait /Stick Mix, Pellets & Paste

Liquids - A-tract (Pellet & Groundbait additive), Bait Soak (Bait glug), Gloop (Extra thick and sticky long lasting bait glug) Oil (Heavy density additive or soak for all baits)

Spicy Meat Pro baits - boilies, paste, boosters, pellets and groundbait for specimen fish like carp, barbel and chub fishing

The Big Cheese range - cheese paste base mix specially designed for catching specimen chub. Also availiable as paste, chops, Flakey, Pop-up Flakey and GloopCheese paste is widely recognised as one of the fundamental baits for catching chub in the colder months. Grated cheddar and blue cheese are the preferred cheese and are often bound together with the inclusion of pastry. The downside to using pastry is that the fat content causes the cheese paste to become firmer in cold water making ‘striking through’ the paste on a bite, a bit hit and miss.

The Big Cheese

The Big Cheese is a soluble milk protein base that has been formulated to enhance the pulling power of the cheese itself, without the need for adding pastry. The Big Cheese is supplied with our own The Big Cheese flavour which you add to the base mix and grated cheese to give it a supple texture that stays soft even in the coldest conditions. Remember, only The Hook Bait Company The Big Cheese is THE Big Cheese! Accept no imitiations – buy The Big Cheese range below.

Check out our video below with Christian Barker’s demonstrating the process of mixing the perfect mix.

New additions to our The Big Cheese range, for your convenience are our ready made paste, 12mm chops (available in 250ml pots and 1kg bags) and The Big Cheese Flakey to go along with our old faithful The Big Cheese and Garlic Original Flakey in both bottom bait and pop up Flakey.

The Big Cheese range from the Hook Bait Company - deadly bait for specimen chub

 

The Big Cheese Paste from The Hook Bait Company - a superb, highly effective alternative to pastry-based cheesepaste - The Big Cheese paste is a superb and time-proven chub bait!The Big Cheese originated several years ago when Darren was discussing the issue of why people used pastry to add to cheese to make paste, with fellow consultant Christian Barker. The Big Cheese is a milk protein mix which replaces the need to use puff pastry as it has no fat content and is super smooth and binds perfectly with the grated cheese. It has caught thousands of chub since its release a few years ago, and it really does stink!

The trouble was, a lot of our customers remarked about the grief they get from their partners when mixing it at home in the kitchen, stinking the house out. Well, to save you any more hassle from the other half about the smell, we have saved you the task of mixing it all by supplying ready made, shelf life cheese paste – in a resealable pot!

Made with real cheddar and blue stilton and just the right amount of The Big Cheese base mix and The Big Cheese flavour, mixed to just the right consistency. Happy Days!

 

The Big Cheese Chops from The Hook Bait Company - superb chub baitThe latest addition to our range of chub baits are The Big Cheese chops (also known as “pillows”, “dumbells” and “squabs”). Darren has been using these for years, with great success, landing chub to 6lb+ on them. Supplied in 12mm chops as standard, they are pliable enough to mount directly on the hook, but are much better presented on the hair. The baits are shelf-life so you can leave them in your tackle bag at the end of your session. Made using our The Big Cheese mix and The Big Cheese flavour these little beauties really do smell of cheese! Just as they ought to.

 

The Big Cheese Flakey from The Hook Bait Company - superb chub baitOriginal Flakey was designed for the sole purpose of giving me confidence in knowing that the bait would not be nibbled away by minnows whilst trying to catch chub. Made from our Milk Pro boilie mix, each piece is individually crafted by hand to give it the flake look. The baits are then steamed so that the flavour is locked in and the flakey is very durable. You can change the size of the flakey by nipping off pieces with your finger nails which also lets out more of the flavour.

Supplied in a handy re-sealable pot, these are supplied in our The Big Cheese flavour as standard, but are also available in all of our flavours. The baits are shelf life too!

 

The Big Cheese Gloop - high-attraction thick liquid hook bait dip & enhancerStill available in the range is our ‘The Big Cheese Gloop‘. The Gloop is flouro yellow in colour and the perfect accompaniment for both our new The Big Cheese Flakey as well as our original The Big Cheese with Garlic Flakey. It has proved to also be a great success in testing when used with our new The Big Cheese chops, giving these superb baits an even better edge.

 


The Big Cheese – Complete Range



Paste Pots from the Hook bait Company - paste fishing bait for specimen fish

Handy 250ml pots of ready-made, shelf-life paste to enhance the pulling power of your bait, which we highly recommend.

Of course, our pastes can be used on their own as a highly palatable, soft hookbait. With a host of flavours to choose from – including all of our Hook Bait Flavours range – they are handy to have in your bait bag for any given angling situation.

Paste Pots


250ml Paste Pot (Shelf-Life Paste)



Barbel 5: Crab and Anchovy boilies, chops, pop-ups, pellets, paste, groundbait, Gloop and liquid additives from the Hook Bait Company - superb specialist baits for barbel, chub, carp and specimen fish

The awesome Barbel 5 is back! Its been 6 years since we last produced this fantastic Crab & Anchovy  bait and its back with a vengeance. Barbel 5  is an instant attract bait that barbel readily accept as a food item and it caught many big barbel back in the day.

Due to the precise make up of the bait, a couple of ingredients proved difficult to source when our supplier stopped importing them 6 years ago, and reluctantly we had to stop producing the bait as it just was not the same. Thankfully after many years searching around for alternative ingredients, we are now 100% happy with the bait and so we are proud to be re-launching this very popular bait.

The bait has a very strong odour, similar to a bank tramp and will help to pull fish away from sanctuary spots to investigate the crustacean smell.
Without giving too much away the bait contains the following:
Pre-digested fishmeal, milk protein, yeast, anchovy extract, crab, & stimanol

Barbel 5  – Crab & Anchovy Products:

Boilies, Barrels & Chops
Base Mix (1kg base mix makes 1.4kg of boilies)
Hook Bait Extras (Pop-ups, Hard Hookers & Flakeys)
Groundbait/Stick Mix, Pellets & Paste
Liquids - A-tract (Pellet & Groundbait additive), Bait Soak (Bait glug), Gloop (Extra thick and sticky long lasting bait glug), Oil (Heavy density additive or soak for all baits)

Barbel 5 - specialist barbel fishing baits from the Hook Bait Company