Windows XP SP3

Many times as I head to the bottom of my desktop, I will slightly overshoot the target at the bottom and the task bar will pop up, hiding the target. I then have to move the cursor out of it so it retreats and then again try to access the target. Is there a way to add an interval, say, 1 second, to the task bar popping up so I can adjust to the target before the task bar covers it?

EDIT: as per my answer below, "What I ended up doing is just docking it on the LH side of the screen. There is no change in response but I don't go to that location so often so it's much better.".