I'm an old newbie to bass fishing and have a question about drop shots, do you always need to have a mono leader, or could I just leave a long tag end of the same braid that's on the spool and tie the weight to it?

I use a spinning rod, so I use braid to a fluro leader. The leader is maybe 10’.

If you use a bait caster. Just use your mainline if you want, I would use fluro, but you could use mono. Tie straight to the mainline.

Spinning rods are just prone to line twist, and braid is ideal, you can use mono on a spinning rod too though, and I do when the temps drop below freezing. Braid holds too much water and freezes up.

Depends on water clarity but in stained water I use braid all the way to the hook and weight. If you can see 3+ feet down into the water I would use a 12-15' leader of mono or fluoro to get more bites. Use al Albright or Alberto knot to join main line to leader.

I like to have enough leader so it is on the reel when I make a cast. That way the momentum of the cast pulls the knot through the guides better. Still drives me crazy when the knot goes clicking thru the guides tho.

Don't overthink the drop shot rig. It is just a catfish rig with a plastic worm on the hook.

Good points Ken, I’m personally not much of a dirty water drop shotter, I always use a leader.

If the water has low visibility I go straight to larger bulkier baits…jigs mainly.

Ya gotta use that 4lb Tatsu leader!! Those fish can see anything else.

The last DD I caught was at CB on 50# braid all the way to weight with a 10" Jawtec Sultan and 3/4 weight. I call it Bubba-Shotting. That lake is 2' max viz. It was post cold front

Quit lying, everyone knows drop shots only catch dinks.

That's call "Power Shotting"

I do this all the time. It's probably one of the most successful method I've had for catching them.

Quit getting hung up so much.. believe me, I fish dam rocks with these skinny drop shot weights.

I like 15# power pro mainline and a 8# Seaguar flouro leader. A shot of reel magic or an other type of similar product helps.

I fish it on a casting rod and run straight 12 lbs. floro

I do to if doing the power shotting as earlier mentioned. Prefer a full size trick or mag.trick.

I use a spinning rod 99% of the time Stella 3000, NRX + 853S, and 15lb J braid grand. I like to use a flourocarbon leader all the time! I like to be able to add 6lb,8lb,10lb, or even 12lb with a FG knot depending on what I am doing. If I am flipping a drop shot into lilly pads I will do 12lb... Open water super clear 8lb.

Open water I use a NRX 822 dsr with 20# braid with 10# fluro leader and a Conquest 782c with straight 10# fluro. For my bubba shot rig it’s a NRX 854 with 20# fluro