That is one beautiful Blackie guys! As always it is a pleasure to help out.
SCT.. Although presetting the Digitroll is a great feauture, it causes more work for the angler from the constant changing depths and irregular bottom contours. E.g. removing slack from the rod when the ball raises or ensuring slack when the dr ball drops.
The picture of the rod shows ideal "rod loading." Note the wire angle vice the slack in the mono on the rod. There is virtually no slack in the mono. At this point the rod is doubled over and the mono becomes elastic. Once a fish hits and releases from the clip, the line will immediately return to it's natural state and the rod eliminates any slack in the line.
Another attribute many overlook when pruchasing a set of downriggers is where they were devised at and for. The Scotty's are tried and true for the briny deep of the Pacific Northwest whereas the Cannon's were breed for Great Lakes fishing.
The main difference in tactics are thermocline in the Great Lakes and along the bottom for juvenile Chinook here in the Sound. The exception would be for returning ocean fish in the summer where the fish "typical" migrate at depths of 60 to 90-feet within the Sound
See you folks at the seminar!