Winter is the time of year when expander pellet fishing can really pay off, especially on venues which hold lots of F1s. And when it comes to expanders, I look no further than Sonu Baits’ Fin Perfect range.

The only sizes I use are 3mm, 4mm and 6mm, and preparing them could not be easier. I put a handful of expanders into my pellet pump, fill the pump full of water, and pump the pellets.

I release the valve to sink them and then drain the water out until the pellets are just covered. Next, I re-pump the pellets and leave the pump pressurised, put it into my bait bag, load it into the car and head off to the match venue.

Once I am at my peg I release the valve on the pump and transfer the pellets to a bait tub on my sidetray. And that’s it. Simple.

Some anglers say you should only use bottled water to pump pellets, or water from a  garden water butt, but I just get mine straight from the tap. I have never experienced problems like fish not wanting the pellets, so I keep it simple.

One thing I would recommend, however, is that you always carry some spare pellets with you, in case there is a problem with the pumped pellets, so that you can prepare a fresh batch on the bank.

Try the Sonu-branded Fin Perfect expander pellets. They have a nice consistency, which makes them easy to hook, but they stay on the hook while you ship out.

Newcomers to pellet fishing might also wonder about floats and rigs to use, so here’s one that worked for me at the weekend at Lindholme, near Doncaster, on a Winter teams of three match. The float is the Preston PB8, which has an elongated rugby ball shape and a carbon stem and plastic bristle. In three feet of water, fishing up to an island, I opted for a 4 x 12 pattern, because it was quite windy. This was shotted with six number 10 Preston Stotz, strung out from mid-depth down to the hook-length, which was a 15cm-long hook-length, comprising 0.10mm Power Line, tied to a size 18 PR32 hook, which is spot-on for expander work. The main line in winter needs to be no more than 0.11mm Power Line.

I caught 11 F1s and two roach for 16lb, from a bad draw and in a  horrible wind. But my team currently lies second in the league, so no complaints there!