Everyone has their preferences and advice...no shortage of that.

Personally, I threw out every Cabela's DepthMaster I had last year. I had lots of problems with the counters on 4 of the 6 I was running. They were only 2 years old and I was extremely disappointed. I had 2 Penn Rival Levelwind Line Counter Reel RIV15LWLC 5.1:1 that I liked using, so I replaced all of the DepthMasters last year with these. It has an oversized handle that lets you really get some leverage on those hawgs (especially if you flat line a Smithwick at 280ft back...which I always do). You can get them for about $60-$70 each. You will never want to use another reel once you get used to them.

For a decent, inexpensive rod, I have run Wilderness rods for years with zero issues. I have 2 heavier rods for dipseys, but honestly don't run them that often anymore. You can get a Wilderness for about $20

Another option is look on CL. Guys are always selling their old trolling stuff and upgrading. I have gotten some good deals in the past.

I run mostly snap weights and inline boards. You can run the weights on anything you throw out. I do occasionally run the TT-20s also.

To save on your budget to start (until you can afford the Amish Trolling Bags), drill some 1/2 inch holes in 5 gallon buckets. I haven't done this in many years, but it always worked on my smaller boats.

Tight Lines!