logan_paul
Member
Does anybody have any ideas on how expander pellets or soft hooker pellets are made, I've searched google for days but didn't came across any articles on how its made.
How to make Expander Pellets at Home!!!
- Thread starter logan_paul
- Start date
rayner
Well-known member
I reckon they're just floating pellets forced to sink with the use of a pump.
There are pellets available now that don't need pumping, Sonu pro expanders.
Pumping is not compulsory, just a soak in water to soften them is all that's really needed, hook one then give it a squeeze in water for a slower fall.
Why do you need to know, are you trying to produce them.
There are pellets available now that don't need pumping, Sonu pro expanders.
Pumping is not compulsory, just a soak in water to soften them is all that's really needed, hook one then give it a squeeze in water for a slower fall.
Why do you need to know, are you trying to produce them.
logan_paul
Member
I don't have expander pellets in my country. I want to make them for myself. I have used them last year and caught 378pouns of fish in a 9hour session but I have only used them twice. The thing is the dealer that bought me those Passed away and after that I haven't found anybody who would bring me those.
rich66
Well-known member
I’m sure I’ve read somewhere soft hookers use oil’s rather than water to soften them ?
peter crabtree
AKA Simon, 1953 - 2022 (RIP)
I think they're made from Fishmeal and gelatin.
iannate
The fish made me do it!
They're extruded using various recipes.
If you want to make your own, I'd suggest getting a recipe that you're happy with and just roll sausages the diameter you want, and then cut them to length and air dry them.
A lot will depend on what properties you want, but as a general feed pellet (nothing fancy, neither hard nor soft, just a pellet of feed): try ground up dried cat or dog food with maize flour.
I'm working from memory here so your your mileage may vary, 70% dried pet food and 30% maize flour, use one egg to test, add 3-4ml oil and beat together; slowly add the dry mix to the egg until you get a stiffish dough then start kneading it - if you think it's too stiff, dip your hand in water (as in very little water) and knead again.
Wrap mix in cling film and leave in the fridge for a couple of hours.
Take out of fridge and roll into sausages, cut to length and lay them out somewhere warmish and dry (airing cupboard not bathroom
) and shake them regularly. They will take a few days depending on temperature etc..
Don't go mad on oil, there is quite a bit in the dried food, but it will help to bind the mix together, 2 or 3 eggs should be around 5ml, it's not linear.
If you have a stiff plastic cutting board, you can use this to roll the dough.
There are other things that you can add and do, but keep it simple to begin with, and gradually make any changes that you fancy. You may find that you can't stand making them.
If you have a pet cat or dog, and have wet food for them, you can add a bit (about a table spoon per egg) of that into the mix instead of oil.
Different pet foods have different properties, so you will find you'll have to experiment to find what you want. Some recipes need to be rolled a bit thicker than others and vice-versa.
Have fun and keep it simple.
If you want to make your own, I'd suggest getting a recipe that you're happy with and just roll sausages the diameter you want, and then cut them to length and air dry them.
A lot will depend on what properties you want, but as a general feed pellet (nothing fancy, neither hard nor soft, just a pellet of feed): try ground up dried cat or dog food with maize flour.
I'm working from memory here so your your mileage may vary, 70% dried pet food and 30% maize flour, use one egg to test, add 3-4ml oil and beat together; slowly add the dry mix to the egg until you get a stiffish dough then start kneading it - if you think it's too stiff, dip your hand in water (as in very little water) and knead again.
Wrap mix in cling film and leave in the fridge for a couple of hours.
Take out of fridge and roll into sausages, cut to length and lay them out somewhere warmish and dry (airing cupboard not bathroom
) and shake them regularly. They will take a few days depending on temperature etc..Don't go mad on oil, there is quite a bit in the dried food, but it will help to bind the mix together, 2 or 3 eggs should be around 5ml, it's not linear.
If you have a stiff plastic cutting board, you can use this to roll the dough.
There are other things that you can add and do, but keep it simple to begin with, and gradually make any changes that you fancy. You may find that you can't stand making them.
If you have a pet cat or dog, and have wet food for them, you can add a bit (about a table spoon per egg) of that into the mix instead of oil.
Different pet foods have different properties, so you will find you'll have to experiment to find what you want. Some recipes need to be rolled a bit thicker than others and vice-versa.
Have fun and keep it simple.
Logan-paul, you can make a weird sort of expander type hook bait using pieces of bread crust from a sliced loaf. Put several bits of bread crust into a expander pump along with water, gelatine and a flavour (if required). Pump in the usual way, remove jellified crusts and then leave them to harden and dry off. The crusts will sink but will be delicate. When fishing cut off the piece of hookbait to the size you require. Works well for stillwater roach here. Good luck.
logan_paul
Member
I think I have cracked the Recipe I should have seen this way earlier, but it's super simple just as you would make boilies, the difference is making it using something that would take a lot of water like I've used breadcrumb, I haven't used any flavours yet.
I made a small batch yesterday using:
5ml of egg white.
2grams of Agar Agar powder. [Used Gelatin and it doesn't last that long because we have hotter temperature in our country and it's way fragile than the agar-agar ones.]
Breadcrumb as much as you need to turn it into a dough but the dough won't be as stiff it will be soft as the agar-agar will take the liquid and swell.
Made them into pellets, it becomes super stick as the agar-agar take the liquid.
and finally boiled them for 3mins and they turned out as boilie would but softer.
Then I let them air dry in a dehydrator for a couple of hours then took them out from the dehydrator and kept them to airdry in room temperature. Today morning I saw them and they were perfect as a boilie would.
Now comes the fun part testing them whether they would swell up the water. I put some in the water and kept them in for 2hours and after that, I was surprisingly shocked they swollen up exactly as an expander pellet would. I think they rather came out better than sonubaits expanders, they are soft but way rigid than the sonubaits ones, you won't be able to deform there shape easily by pressing them. they are super rigid.
I'm happy with the result but I have a few questions regarding the breadcrumbs! What can I do to not get moulds on them as bread gets moulds in a few days?? Is there any alternative to breadcrumb that will swell up as much as bread??
I have included an image on how they are hooked on a quick stop.![75279129_730734474062248_6808595415630348288_n[1].jpg](https://www.fishingmagic.com/forums/data/attachments/2/2687-b8561bdaee5d71beb98424d8db7556ac.jpg "75279129_730734474062248_6808595415630348288_n[1].jpg")
I made a small batch yesterday using:
5ml of egg white.
2grams of Agar Agar powder. [Used Gelatin and it doesn't last that long because we have hotter temperature in our country and it's way fragile than the agar-agar ones.]
Breadcrumb as much as you need to turn it into a dough but the dough won't be as stiff it will be soft as the agar-agar will take the liquid and swell.
Made them into pellets, it becomes super stick as the agar-agar take the liquid.
and finally boiled them for 3mins and they turned out as boilie would but softer.
Then I let them air dry in a dehydrator for a couple of hours then took them out from the dehydrator and kept them to airdry in room temperature. Today morning I saw them and they were perfect as a boilie would.
Now comes the fun part testing them whether they would swell up the water. I put some in the water and kept them in for 2hours and after that, I was surprisingly shocked they swollen up exactly as an expander pellet would. I think they rather came out better than sonubaits expanders, they are soft but way rigid than the sonubaits ones, you won't be able to deform there shape easily by pressing them. they are super rigid.
I'm happy with the result but I have a few questions regarding the breadcrumbs! What can I do to not get moulds on them as bread gets moulds in a few days?? Is there any alternative to breadcrumb that will swell up as much as bread??
I have included an image on how they are hooked on a quick stop.
mikench
Well-known member
Do you ship to the UK?
Keep them hard and dry and they shouldn't go mouldy. Try freezing some. Soak in water only as needed.
Keep them hard and dry and they shouldn't go mouldy. Try freezing some. Soak in water only as needed.
Last edited:
logan_paul
Member
Do you ship to the UK?
Keep them hard and dry and they shouldn't go mouldy. Try freezing some. Soak in water only as needed.
I'm super happy with the result, now the final step is to try them out.