Alter your play for donks - early game?

I play the $20-$30 sngs at PS. I've been playing for 3 months or so and I'd say I'm a break even player right now. I play pretty tight preflop (early game). But if I do get in a hand, I try to win it. Sometimes these little forays pan out, sometimes they blow up on me, which is why I'm still only a break-even player at this point. Like I said, I try a lot of things, I don't always take the books I read as gospel, and I'm still learning.

Anyway, what I'm wondering is are there any general idioms for extracting the most money from mega-loose aggressive/passive players early in the game--w/o losing it all? Without fail there are 2,3,4 of these people early on, mostly calling stations, and it's just a matter of time before they pay off someone. Seems to me like it's worth it to take some extra risks early to try to lay some traps and double up before only the solid players are left.

Trouble is I'm obviously not laying them right at the moment. Seems like over and over I'll raise big (5BB or more, depending on how many chips are in the pile) early with KK or QQ, just to have 2 or 3 calls, including A7 guy who hits his A on the flop. Then I spend all my chips trying to convince him I have AK (which is dumb I know, if he called with A7, he's not folding it very often). So then the next game, I'll limp with AT where I would normally fold, trying to trap Ax, only to run into an actual solid player limping with AJ. I am taking notes and I've noticed a pattern of myself getting bit in the butt trying to alter my play in these situations. But it's just so hard not to try to trap or otherwise milk these guys for all their chips early.

I'd appreciate any thoughts on strategies/plays that work for profitable early game fleecing? I know i still have a ton to learn.

thx,
Matt