I’ve had a good run of results in the early part of the year, the latest coming on Sunday February 17 when I qualified for the Maver Classic final at Larford Lakes, using Sonubaits Ton-Up expander pellets and standard Sonubaits Fin Perfect feed pellets to great effect.

The 33-peg contest was fished on the Specimen Lake and I drew peg 29 on the Burr Bank. There are loads of skimmers in the Specimen lake and while carp can win matches, with the temperature dipping to minus 6 the night before the match, I thought it would be a big gamble to primarily target carp.

I spent the first hour on the Method feeder, looking for a carp or two, and then switched to my 16 metre pole line where I had introduced a 250ml pot of softened 4mm Sonu feed pellets at the all-in, then catapulting 10 to 20 of the same pellets every 10 minutes thereafter.

From the moment I switched to the pole the bites started coming and I finished as the winner with 45lb of skimmers. I reckon I had 60 to 70 fish for my weight, with a lot of fish between 4oz and 10oz and a bonus in the shape of a three pound bream.

I used my Preston Genis 2G12 pole with an 11 Preston Hollo 11H elastic, set through the number two and number three sections. Float choice was a 4 x 18 PB15, with 0.13mm Preston Powerline as the main line and the same in 0.11mm for the hook length, which was around six inches long and finished off with a size 16 PR32, which is a great hook for pellet fishing.

I used 4mm and 6mm expanders and I prefer the dark, Ton-Up Sonu expanders in the 6mm size if I want a big expander. The reason is because when this pellet expands it stays at 6mm to 7mm in size, retains its pellet shape and does not fluff up looking something like a marshmallow, as other makes seem to do.

The shotting pattern on the rig was a simple bulk of number eight shot, about two feet from the hook, with two number nine shots as droppers, equidistant between the bulk and the loops joining main line to the hooklength.

Before signing off I want to share a tip on preparing feed pellets and expanders with blog readers. When it comes to my feed pellets, I prepare mine the night before the match. I take the required amount of 4mm hard feed pellets and immerse them in water for five minutes - and no more.

Then I drain off the water and leave the pellets on top of a riddle, in my garage, overnight. In the morning they have gone soft but still retain their shape and enough firmness to be catapulted out if need be. I simply put them in a plastic bag and take them to the match.

Expanders pellets are something that need a little bit of care to prepare. I know some anglers pump theirs the night before a match or a pleasure fishing session, but I prefer to do mine on the bank.

I tackle up first and then sort my bait out and after pumping the expanders I continually check them just until I can squeeze one and the centre is not hard. Once they reach this stage I will drain off all the water and they are ready.

This is important because it means you have a soft expander that can withstand being shipped in and out, to lengths up to 16 metres, without falling off the hook.

This saves time, which can be vital in a competition, as more time spent fishing means more fish in the net.
Cheers!