How to make Expander Pellets at Home!!!

[logan_paul]

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. it's only couple of quid's to buy them but where I live no one has them. Please guys it anybody knows how it can be made let me know I really want to use them.

 

[chrissh]

Found a couple of link that might help

YouTube

At last, the secret to making pellet hookbaits is revealed

 

[logan_paul]

I have read this article and watched the video couple of years ago, but I want to know how to make soft hooker pellets or expandable pellets like the ones sonubait sells.

 

[mikench]

I remain unconvinced about expanders as an effective bait at all and certainly could not be bothered messing about with pumps or syringes. When I do prepare them I use those recommended by Des Shipp( Sonubaits perhaps) . You literally cover them with water, leave them overnight and they are ready next day. They come in 4,6 and 8mm.

I see you are in Bangladesh so may not be able to acquire sonubaits pellets. If so buy a cheap syringe from eBay, as big as you need to suit the pellets( big is best),discard the needle carefully, fill with pellets and water, place finger or palm over hole in nozzle and pull down the plunger to remove the air. The pellets will then stop floating and sink. They are normally then ready to use. Repeat this process as necessary.

 

[nottskev]

I've found occasions when nothing will beat expanders as a hookbait, and preparing them, even with a pump, certainly takes less time than most other baits - soaking and simmering hemp and tares, riddling and flavouring maggots, looking after casters, food-processing bread etc.

What exactly do you want your expander/soft pellets for? There might be some alternative if you give us more of an idea. For instance, before expanders etc were invented, people were making a soft fishmeal-type hookbait by grinding pellets, mixing with egg (put the ingredients in a plastic bag and knead together - keeps it off your hands), and making a paste of variable stiffness, and using as it hookbait. Nowadays, they are more likely to wrap the paste around a hair-rigged hard pellet for extra attraction.
The drawback is that the paste bait can't be cast far, and works best under a pole or rod tip.

 

[logan_paul]

As a hook bait, last year I have used 8mm expanders from sonubaits [the ones you only have to soak for a couple of hours] and you won't believe how many big fish I have caught using them. for example one day in a 9-hour session I have caught 378pounds worth of fish and the smallest one being a 6pounder but all those weren't carps I have caught odd 5 or7 carps that day, we have different species over here. The dealer that bought me those expanders from the UK passed away and after that, I couldn't find anybody who could bring me those and if I want to buy them from online the shipping cost will be 2times more than the original price.

 

[d.owens]

There is a seller on Ebay called lewis9222 who ships expander pellets to Bangladesh,could be worth checking out.

 

[mikench]

I would buy 2 years supply and sell some to cover overheads.

 

[iannate]

I would buy 2 years supply and sell some to cover overheads.

It doesn't take much to confuse me, 2 posts in different sections :lol:

Mike's answer is probably a better :thumb:

 

[nottskev]

I've met some fussy fish, but it's hard to imagine there are fish in Bangladesh that will only eat Sonubaits 8mm expanders. I take it that these fish, though, did prove easier to catch on a medium-sized soft pellet with a fishmeal ingredient/flavour. If a fishmeal-based paste is no use ( you still didn't mention how you are fishing or how far you need to cast) you could consider making a pellet with a jelly/rubbery texture.
Pellets ground to powder and mixed with gelatine dissolved in hot water - you can experiment with the ratio of powder/gelatine/ water - will set into a rubbery block of say 10mm depth and you can then cut it into bait-sized pieces or punch out cylinders with a meat punch, and put these straight on the hook or hair-rig them. The first time I tried this - a soft alternative to the common halibut pellet - the chub on a local river took it readily.
A bit of lateral thinking might solve the soft pellet hookbait problem. But maybe these expanders are also a feed bait that's key to your success? You didn't mention what/how you were feeding, which might make it easier for people to make suggestions.

 

[logan_paul]

There is a seller on Ebay called lewis9222 who ships expander pellets to Bangladesh,could be worth checking out.

The shipping cost is 21$

 

[logan_paul]

I've met some fussy fish, but it's hard to imagine there are fish in Bangladesh that will only eat Sonubaits 8mm expanders. I take it that these fish, though, did prove easier to catch on a medium-sized soft pellet with a fishmeal ingredient/flavour. If a fishmeal-based paste is no use ( you still didn't mention how you are fishing or how far you need to cast) you could consider making a pellet with a jelly/rubbery texture.
Pellets ground to powder and mixed with gelatine dissolved in hot water - you can experiment with the ratio of powder/gelatine/ water - will set into a rubbery block of say 10mm depth and you can then cut it into bait-sized pieces or punch out cylinders with a meat punch, and put these straight on the hook or hair-rig them. The first time I tried this - a soft alternative to the common halibut pellet - the chub on a local river took it readily.
A bit of lateral thinking might solve the soft pellet hookbait problem. But maybe these expanders are also a feed bait that's key to your success? You didn't mention what/how you were feeding, which might make it easier for people to make suggestions.

I used a homemade method/hybrid feeder and homemade groundbait, the fishmeal contain was high around 45 to 55 percent and it wasn't a long chuck it was around 35meters.

 

[mikench]

Buy 50 bags and sell 21 for a $ profit and you've recovered your outlay. Contact Sonubaits to see if they need an agent/ distributor in Bangladesh. Indeed see if they have one in a neighbouring country like India. You could be the next Lakshmi Mittal.

 

[markcw]

Buy pond pellets, or believe it or not rabbit feed pellets, soak with flavours until soft and hookable, I found out about rabbit feed pellets by accident, i had left a few out and they got wet, they ended up with a spongy feeling, added flavour tried on hook and caught plenty, this was over 20 years ago, tried commercial bought rabbit pellets a couple of years ago, same results, And please no jokes about what they are like when "hare" rigged.

 

[mikench]

Aw Mark; I was already to make it. Never mind. Some bald blokes wear dead rabbits on their head because from a distance they look like hares. I'll get my rod

 

[logan_paul]

Buy 50 bags and sell 21 for a $ profit and you've recovered your outlay. Contact Sonubaits to see if they need an agent/ distributor in Bangladesh. Indeed see if they have one in a neighbouring country like India. You could be the next Lakshmi Mittal.

HaHaHa. People over here doesn't even know what a feeder is expander pellets way far there knowledge, but I have cracked the recipie I'm going to share it on a later post.

 

[logan_paul]

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.

 

[iannate]

Mould needs moisture to grow, so if they have been air dried well, they should last some time depending on the humidity that they are kept in.

You could freeze them.

Are the breadcrumbs dry? or liquidised?

Well done for having a play, and I hope that you catch plenty with your recipe

 

[logan_paul]

Mould needs moisture to grow, so if they have been air dried well, they should last some time depending on the humidity that they are kept in.

You could freeze them.

Are the breadcrumbs dry? or liquidised?

Well done for having a play, and I hope that you catch plenty with your recipe

Thanks Mate.
It was liquidised bread only the white part.

 

[108831]

All floating pellets(fish)can be pumped,some need different timing,others don't turn out satisfactorily,a bit like shop bought expanders,many are inferior,I use some that are not made anymore,I bought a case of them(12 bags)which have lasted me many years and I still have 4/5 bags.As for their effectiveness,there are times when expander are THE hookbait and if pellets are the bait of choice I would always carry them,with the pump,just in case.One other point,I always leave mine just covered in water,after pumping,my pellets don't deteriorate much(a lot do),but I only pump small batches,working on the basis fresh is best.