expander pellets

I know this has been done before but I wonder if anyone has anything new to add.

I am new to expander pellets, and after struggling with their fagility I did some research on the interweb this weekend. I discovered that I had been making them wrong. I put them in the pump with the water, created the vacum, and never drained them so they where very mushy by the end of the day .

So yesterday I tried 3 ways of preparing them.
1. Plain pellet and water, did the pump thing, left for 20 minutes, drained, dabbed with a bit of paper towel, put in the fridge overnight.
2. Jelly, tesco's 7p jelly (don't worry I only used half of it so it wasn't to expensive in the end ), half the jelly in 6 fluid oz of boiling water stir till disolved, let it cool for 5 mins, did the pump thing, 20 minutes later drained them put them in a large plastic bag and laid them flat in the fridge overnight.
3. Gelatine, sainburys 69p for 6 sachets (enough for 6 pints), used half a sachet to 6 fl oz water, added two desert spoons of liquidised trout pellet. Then as per the jelly mix.

Results
All pellets much better. Gelatine the toughest, although I wont use the liquidised pellet again, everything got a bit to heavily coated, so I shall only use liquid flavourings in future. The ones done in jelly hook well but the jelly didn't set as well as the gelatine.

Anyone got any other ways to make hookable pellets?

Hello Sagalout,

Is this how you make your expander pellets ??

http://www.pleasurefishing.com/html/expanderpellets.htm

http://www.dynamitebaits.com/index.php?id=919

I too have never tried them before, i prefer to buy the Hookable Pellets and Loose feed hard pellets soaked in water or just dry depending on where and how i am fishing.

One trick i did see on a website was to find the grain of the expander pellet, which is usually runs the same way as the flat ends of the pellet and then to hook them through the side of the pellet to make them stay on better.

http://www.dynamitebaits.com/index.php?id=1053&usergroup=match

Well it is now . I must have been playing hooky the day they did expanders at skool. I knew about the "grain" and side hooking bit.

This is where I got the geletine idea http://www.talkangling.co.uk/JellyPellets.htm

I have never used them, but, i had thought about it in the Summer, so i did a little research, when i find what i like and i can easily understand what they're describing (as i am thick when it comes to new fishing techniques) i just save the page to my favourites, and then i practise them when ever i want.

That's how i learnt to tie all my fishing knots, the bloody web is a marvellous thing

the dynamite baits hook and feed pellets are loads easier, no pumping required, and they sink (most of them do at least, lol), so can be fed hard if you want to. Limited range though

Ready mades may be easier but they are 20 or 30 times the cost and using a pellet pump isn't exactly a rigorous exercise regime

Hi Sagalout,
I use expanders quite a lot. I prepare them in a similar way but I've never had to leave the pellets in the water for the extra 10mins mentioned.
I use the pump 3 or 4 times, about 30 pumps then leave for about 30 secs, then repeat until they all sink, on the last time I leave them for about 2mins max and grain off 90% of the liquid and bag them. I put them into the fridge if they're for the next day or the coolbag if they're for the same day, within an hour they're perfect, when they've absorbed all the water I put a couple of tea spoons of Betain in with them and it's absorbed nicely.

Hi Rodney,
I guess that leaving them in some of the fluid allows them to keep drawing up that fluid having the same effect as leaving them in all the fluid a bit longer them draining them completely. I will try your method next time I make some up but I made so many yesterday whilst experimenting I don't think I shall need to make any for a while

sagalout said:

Ready mades may be easier but they are 20 or 30 times the cost and using a pellet pump isn't exactly a rigorous exercise regime

Click to expand...

sagalout, i was referring to these mate, a sinking expander that you dont need to pump. not a ready made hook pellet.

http://www.dynamitebaits.com/index.php?id=849&usergroup=match

you just soak them for up to an hour, although i like them fairly firm and tend to use them after about 45 mins.

they cost roughly the same as any other coarse feed pellet, or very nearly, so where you get 20-30 times the cost from i don't know.

Hi Ben, my mistake, I thought you meant the ready mades, those just don't need a pump.

i would heartily recommend them sagalout, they are great for those sessions when you decide to just go.

like i said, limited range, but the betaine green will catch anything that swims, pretty much, so they make a great fall back plan when you don't have time to pump pellets. or when the weathers too nasty to faff around pumping on the bank.

sorry if previous post was a bit blunt, just re-read it.

Expanders are designed for pole users and providing you don't drag them through the water they will normally stay on the hook prepared in the ordinary way. Lift the hook well clear of the water when sending the pole out then gently lay the bait on the water.

After a session on expanders don't throw the leftovers in the pool, take them home and bag them then put in the freezer for next time. They aren't good for the hook but you can feed them via a pole pot, alternatively liquidise them and mix with you groundbait, they are made from fishmeal and thus an ideal addition

Ben Haigh said:

sorry if previous post was a bit blunt, just re-read it

Click to expand...

It was to blunt to penetrate my thick skin

Graham I have been using the gelatines on the waggler with good results.