Hello again Texas bass catchers.. As always when I have a question about bass fishing I come here and get the best advice. I did a search but came up empty so I decided to just post my question. Ok so I have been watching all the bass fishermen around me catching all these bass on drop shots here in Tennessee.. I have never tried one and as of till today had no clue what to even buy. I have been searching the internet looking for drop shot advice and have come up with a few things but I really want the advice of guys out useing it. So here it is. What type/brand wieghts do you use? what type/brand hook? and of course what type lures do you all like the best? Thanks everyone..!!

to start out just buy the premade Gamakatsu rigs (they are like $1.00 for three) & whatever size DS weights you can get away with. For worms, I usually use roboworm straight tails of FX Sculpins.

Ok on thr rig do you like the 4 2 or 1 size hook? Do i use a swivel to tie it to my line? and on the other end will it have the knot already for the wieght to lock into?

Drop Shot rigging Video

http://www.ehow.com/video_2365830_drop-shot-rigging-fishing-advanced.html

Really any type of hook will work. The knot you tie is the most important thing. You use a Palomar knot and run the line BACK through the hook eye. That will make the hook STAND OUT. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT!!!! (Of course I recommend the Daiichi hooks.)
You can use the smaller light weight dropshot hooks (for nose hooking, non weedless) if you are using light line or the standard offset thin wire worm hooks if you want to T-rig (weedless)rig your bait.
For the light rig I like the Zoom Finess Worms, Baby Flukes, or some of the smaller specialty baits you can nose hook.
For the heavier rig I like the Straight Tail Zoom Trick worms, Reg. Flukes. (A Tournament Pro buddy of mine from Tennessee gave me some of the Swarming Hornet's drop shot baits and they worked very good down here.)
As for the weight. If you are not sure and are just starting out then get some of the "el cheapo" bass sinkers with the brass eye. They are cheap and they work. (You can graduate up to tungsten sinkers later when you win the BASS Classic!)
It's hard to say which size sinker is the best. It will depend on your situation and setup. On my light rig 8-10 lb line (We live in off color water Texas) I use 1/8-1/4 oz sinkers. This also depends on the wind.
On the heaver I will go with 1/4 or 3/8 oz. Really any size you feel comfortable with to feel the bottom.
I typically DON'T drag the bait. I vertically fish it on structure, breaks, points, etc...
You can fish it on bait casting reels but I find that spinning rigs work better since I can just open the bail and the lighter rigs will fall easier.
You can use light braid for the main line and put a "teeny" black swivel on the end to connect approx. 5-6' of fluoroline. OR you can just use mono or Fluoro line. It is VERY common for the line to twist so again I use the "TEENY" black swivel far enough away so it won't distract from the bait. (If you use a shiny swivel the fish WILL hit the swivel!!!)
I fish mine just like crappie fishing. Just barely bouncing it around brush piles. Once you get on a spot you can load the boat in a hurry.
Also, keep a net handy. When you hook one and get it coming your way the fish will skyrocket up out of the water like a rocket out of the water and try and throw the bait.

I use a 1 or 1/0 straight shank Gamakatsu worm hook. Tie a palomar knot and run the tag in back through the eye with the hook side up. The length of the tag depends on how far up you want your hook to be suspended off the bottom. This will depend on what is showing on the graph with the fish. Then just bounce it off the bottom by jigging it up and down. I use a 4" Finesse worm for this application.

Be sure and up your Ping setting on your graph, so it shows the bass. They will be the Yellow hooks.

+1 Good advice from Big Red 12

Be sure and up your Ping setting on your graph, so it shows the bass. They will be the Yellow hooks.

i really like the green pumpkin zoom shakey head worm with a 1/0 gammy

#1 stand out hooks in red, 1/4 oz weight, zoom finesse worm or small fluke. Bounce on slack line.

Buy the old cheap bell sinkers. They work fine. No point in spending a bunch of money on the first thing that gets lost when you get hung up. As far as hooks go, mosquito hooks or drop shot hooks work best. I prefer the hooks made especially for drop shotting because they stand up straight. Although Drop shotting is thought to be purely a vertical presentation, I've probably caught more fish while fishing it horizontally in the water column. Just my thoughts.

Thanks everyone. like always your a huge HELP!!!

Can you fish drop shots from the bank?

I use an offset 2/O gamakatsu hook. 10 lb flurocarbon line. And my favorite worm is a junebug or watermelon red zoom finesse worm. And of course use spinning tackle

Good advice so far...

for drop shotting, yes you can fish one from the bank...
as far as tackle, use flourocarbon any brand it is just confidence. size wise, 6 - 10 pound nothing bigger unless you fishing around structure.
Hooks - again personnal preference I use a size 1 gamakatsu drop shot hook.
Weights if I was a beginner, the bell weights work just fine, just tie a simple overhand knot and it will pull free if you get hung up.
I happen to use the drop shot weights a buddy makes. he sells them for $60.00 for a hundred and they have the line clip.
Worms - Roboworms, ZZ worms are both great.

Just tie an a palomar knot and keep the tag end about a foot to 8".

that should get you started

You got some very good info. there, so I"ll add My 2 cents. I have won alot of money out here in Cal. using this rig. I use 30# briad for main line with 8-12# leader tied with a surgeons knot. I use mostly flouro. for the leader. I tie a 2/0 wide gap hook on because I Texas rig almost all the time. I tie the hook on with a double palomar knot, meaning I put the hook through the loop twice, then run tag end back down the eye of the hook.I mostly cast out and work it back to the boat like you would a shaky head worm rig, the weight depends on how deep I want to fish it to,1/2 ounce if going to around 70 to 80 feet. Thats why I use braid still get good hook set at that depth. Hope this helps you..