I am new to downrigger trolling and have a few questions for some seasoned Nanaimo area fisherman.
1) does it matter if I attach the release clip near the cannon ball, or should I be several or many feet above the cannonball, my thinking here is that the cannon ball makes quite a swath thru the water, this brings you to question 2
2) how far should the flasher be back from the release clip.
3)what colour flasher.
4) how far from flasher to my bait, spoon, or hootchie
5) when I am trolling going as slow as I can, I dont have a kicker yet so its the 5.7 litre at slow idle, but when I am trolling, sometimes, the downrigger line as well as my fishing line are entering the water at a 30 or even a 45 degree angle, so doing the math here means I need 300 feet of cable and line out to get to a depth of 200 feet, so what you say your fishing at 200 feet, do you have 300+ feet of cable and line out
6)are there much salmon out there right now, cause I am not catching anything
the sonar beeps periodically, I do see some fish

There are many variables when using d/riggers.
Steel or braid. 10/12/15# CBs.
Close to the ball is a matter of preference.
Most guides use a gangon system and the clip is 2-5' above the ball.
Using a flasher 13 pulls (about 20') is my # then clip to d/r line. 20 pulls if just using a plug or big spoon.
Colour of flasher is a matter preference (although there are a few colours I have done well with). Same as leader length flasher to lure.
I usually don't go any longer than 40" and generally 30" is my fav. A lot of guys go way longer 5'+ in some situations. Especially when using a hootchie I like to go short. I feel there is better action on the lure.
Your 30-40 deg backlash is about right. D/rigger line does a few 'funny' things in the water and 1 of them is that the line bows back forward. Current and lure action are more important than speed over ground. You may want to try kicking in and out of gear for a little diversity and turns are a good spot to get a hit.
Get a Yammie 9.9 HT for sure. If you need help with set up pm me. See what we can do to get you sussed out.

Northender:- if you attach the release clip down almost on top of the ball, you run the risk of smacking you flasher and tackle on the bottom when you are "bottom bouncing" for say, winter springs. On the other hand it can also be effective to get your gear right to the bottom for "winters".

I like to be able to to put my release clip about 5 feet above the ball. If Iam stacking clips for say,Sockeye,...I put the second clip about 15 feet above the first.

On average the flasher should be about 12 feet back of the clip but that's "general"

I don't know what area you are fishing but if it is Nanaimo/ECVI/etc. I would go with, for flasher color,:-
Purple Haze
White/Glow (In winter)
Super Betsy (Green/Gold)
Silver Betsy
Straight all-chrome PLAID
Green/Chrome
Green U/V
Green Mountain Dew

for starters..

Leader lengths :-

Hoochy> 32 to 45 for Chinooks...depends on boatspeed,current etc.etc.etc.etc.
Generally I go 38" knot to nose.

Bait> 6 to 9 feet behind a flasher (if using a flasher for bait)

Spoon> 52 inches on up to 72 inches behind a flasher if used. I usually run spoons at 56 to 60 inches.

Yes , there are Chinooks off ECVI right now, anywhere from basically 150 to 200 feet.

Try:-
Green Splatterback hoochy
Coyote "Kitchen Sink" spoon
Zurtro "Rosco" spoon
Silver Horde "Irish Creme" spoon
Coyote " Glow Cop Car"
Coyote " Metallic green/NIckel" spoon

Right now go for the 3.5 inch spoons first and then 4 inch if those don't work.

Try to fish two hours either side of the low slack tide, generally.

Don't change up the tackle too much....leave your "A" game on and wait for the bite.
Fish the "lee" of islets and islands where the bait is likely to be pushed by the tides.
You find the baitfish, you find the salmon.........

I commercially fished sockeye chum and chinook for 5 years in the Johnston straits and our cannon balls on the troller wer 75 lbs and the fish didn't care that the bottom flasher was just above it and only 9 feet back. The closer your flasher is to the down rigger line the faster and tighter it rolls.

personally I throw it about 15-20' behind the ball, sometimes closer and sometimes longer. I don't think there is a magic distance you MUST put it back.

Thanks to all who have offered so much advice. we will soon see in the next few weeks as more salmon start to show up,
I would like to ask about bait? anchovies or herring strips ? and are they fished the same ?

cheers
G

At about 1:15 there is some good advice and a nice roll

Here's a good example of what you DON'T want

I heard that Rhys Davies stopped making Herring Strip altogether-anyway if you're going to stink up your hands/boat with bait whole works better.

Thank you for the video links, They kinda give me an idea now of how to start.
probably gonna try this weekend weather permitting

cheers
G

I took the cable off and put on braid as its twice the length that came with the downrigger and there is no electrolysis to worry about.
It was cheaper to replace the cable with braid vs. buying a good quality black box and I just dont have that experience to mess with the black box , so braid it is.