No. Stay with 12 lb. line. As for "free drifting" do you mean fishing bait without weight to get it down? That can be a good tech for some slow clear water. But you need to learn the basics of drift fishing with weight. Many guys say that Bill Herzog's book on 'Driftfishing Techniques' is a great one on that subject. You can find it at some tackle shops or order it thru www.amatobooks.com