Two Fold Question:

[William Novotny]

If you use a dropper loop off the braid your gonna find yourself getting twisted an tangled alot. Im by no means the go to expert on hali fishing but I have had luck on multiple occasions using a carolina keeper, 1oz egg and a live bait hook on the drift. If I set up a traditional hali rig I always use a 1-2oz torpedo sinker, but you can use heavier in deeper swifter moving water. Hope this helps.