Bait guide: what to use for each species
Carp
Boilies (a wide range of flavours, but fishmeal and fruit-based mixes both take carp consistently) are the standard bait on day-ticket and syndicate carp lakes, usually fished over a bed of particles or pellets. Sweetcorn, luncheon meat and bread are simpler, cheaper alternatives that still work well on less-pressured waters. Carp are highly wary on heavily-fished lakes, so varying your hookbait from what everyone else is using can make a real difference.
Pike
Dead-baits (mackerel, herring or smelt, whole or half) fished on a wire trace are the standard approach and work well through autumn and winter, pike's most active feeding period. Lures (spinnerbaits, jerkbaits, soft plastics) are increasingly popular, especially on clearer waters, and let you cover more water searching for fish. Live-baiting is legal on most UK waters but check the specific venue's rules first, as some fisheries ban it outright.
Roach
Maggots and casters fished on a light float rig are the classic approach and remain hard to beat, especially in winter when roach feed cautiously. Bread punch is a strong alternative on clear-water venues. Small amounts of loose-fed maggots or groundbait keep fish interested without overfeeding a shoal that spooks easily.
Perch
Worms are the traditional perch bait and still one of the most reliable, fished under a float or on a light leger. Small lures (spinners, soft plastic minnows) work very well too, particularly for the larger, more predatory perch that hold near cover. Perch shoal by size, so a bite often means more fish of a similar size are nearby.
Bream
Groundbait laced with worm and caster, fished over a swim baited in advance, is the standard method for bream, which feed in numbers once they move into an area. Method feeder tactics with pellet or groundbait work well on stillwaters. Bream can take a while to arrive in a swim, so patience after baiting up matters more than constant re-casting.
Sea species (bass, mackerel, cod, flatfish)
Lugworm and ragworm are the standard all-round sea baits, effective for bass, cod and flatfish from beaches and piers. Mackerel and other shoaling species respond well to feathers or small spinners retrieved through the water rather than a static bait. Fresh bait generally outfishes frozen where you can get it, particularly for bass.