OK, here's ny tip for getting your bait down to a specific depth. I like to fish for striped bass and many times they are holding at 35 to 50 feet in water 75 to 150 feet ndeep. Determining how much line to let out to get to the proper depth was a problem, so I took some white electrical tape and cut strips 1/4 inch wide and then measured 2 feet from my reel up the rod and applied the tape there. Now I can lower my bait easily by stripping off 2 foot increments till I hit the proper depth! 