8 or 10 Lb Test for Drop Shot?

I'm trying to improve my drop shotting skills and have had some recent success which is encouraging. I use 10 lb test but would go lighter except for concern over so much unseen brush and other structure in our lakes. Seems like a trade off between lure action and getting broken off. My best luck has been with a very small bait. What do most use in Texas?

I use 6 or 8...

The action you get on lighter line will get you more bites... I worry abou landing th fish after I get him to bite not before.

You'd be surprised how much abuse 6lb line can take if you use your drag like a boss.

Winter time I'll go as low as 6lb in clear water. Bass are finicky in cold water and the grass/vegetation isn't as thick in the winter time.

Summer time 10lb almost always, but I've been out drop shotted at times by my fishing buddy who uses 6lb year round.

Oh, will you look who it is ^^^^^

I use 7lbs 99% of the time

8lb.

I'm the buddy

James biggs, do you use sunline, if so, which one for dropshoting

Depends on the body of water and structure for me... Rather it be docks, brush piles, or semi open water. Use anywhere from 6-20lb. Drop shorting is not just a fairy stick bite... Try pitching it like a t-rig.

14lbs braid to a 25' leader of Sunline shooter.

What knot to connect james?

I use 8 or 10 with invisx.

Alberto knot

For the finesse version of a drop shot, I would never use > than 8 lbs. fluoro. I can't imagine what the advantage would be with the small hooks and baits. I have mentioned it before, that Aaron Martens and other pros have mentioned dropping down from 8 to 6 to get more bites. Seems right to me.

But, I bought some bigger swivel drop shot hooks several months ago from local Rivera Tackle and though he doesn't show them on his website, he sells some of what he calls Falcon Rigs that are 4/0, 5/0, 6/0 and even 7/0s, and he put a pinch grip on the bottom of the swivel hook for me to then attach a separate sinker leader down to a sinker with its own pinch grip. It makes changing out or length adjustments a snap. And, drop the test down in size on this lower length of line (between the hook and the sinker) so that if your sinker gets stuck, it breaks off and not your hook.

Edit: With these big hooks and bigger sinkers, you'd want to use at least 10 or 12 pound test, I think. Power up everything.

So, the moral here is stay really finesse with 6/8 test line and 1/0, 1, 2 or even the small 4 hooks . . . or go really big.

For example a 4/0, a common hook for a T-Rig? Tie on one of his 4/0 swivel hooks with the cinch grip, T-Rig the bait, but put it on a 1' sinker leader with a bigger sinker to feel the bottom really well. Or, maybe a 30" leader down to the sinker to float it higher in the water column, you never know, or drag it like a Carolina Rig. One other thing would be to use a 3 or 4" line to the sinker so that the bait is hugging the bottom just like a standard T-Rig. But, you can snap it free if it gets snagged in rocks.

I haven't tried above the 4/0s yet, but on my next order I want to get some of the really big ones.

Brad

I've caught many solid fish on a heavy drop shot set up.., shallow 1-7 ft, mid 8-14 ft., and deeper 15-25 ft range. Water clarity plays a role as well. No wrong way to fish it my opinion.

Grod gave the answer

I use as light a line as I can get away with, generally 6-8 lb fluoro leader tied to a 20lb braid main line, no. 2 hook and a 1/8 to 3/16 oz tungsten cylindrical weight. The lighter the line, the better the action. If you're worried about break offs, make sure you have your drag adjusted properly or learn to the back-reeling technique if you truly have a monster. I dropshot quite a bit, especially this time of year. I've only been broken off by a big bass two times that I can recall, and once by what I'm convinced was a flathead that towed my kayak around for seal minutes. If you've tied good knots and play your fish well, don't shy away from using light line.

-SSJr

I use 8lb PLine or 12 Invizx because I fish the drop shot mostly around timber at Lake Fork. They can wrap you around all that timber down there in a hurry.

If I were choosing a line for open water with very little timber or anything else to get hung up in then I would use 8# Invizx.

I use 8lb PLine CXX or 12 Invizx because I fish the drop shot mostly around timber at Lake Fork. They can wrap you around all that timber down there in a hurry.

15# Invizx on my Bubba drop shot, also fish it on a bait caster.

If I were choosing a line for open water with very little timber or anything else to get hung up in then I would use 8# Invizx.

I also fish the drop shot on a bait caster unless I am fishing deep vertically right under the boat. Then I switch to a spinning rig.

6 lb mono, won't "snap"!

I use 6 and a max of 8.

I use 12lb just because I usually am throwing it around docks and brush. I get a lot of bites as it is with the 12. Maybe go lighter and get more bites? Hmmmmmm we shall see

10 pound in most of the lakes around here just my opinion though

Braid to double uni to 10lb floro.