Lowest temp for smoke with chips/chunks?

[F14tuna]

My hand is on the trigger for a Model 2D....I am so far mostly a salmon smoker - come back from my annual AK fishing trip with 100 lbs of silvers every year. Steve L recommended a 2D, for the control of temps at the low end. My question is, what is the lowest temp I can reliably count on for decent smoke generation, and should I use foiled chips, chunks, or another method?  Would really like to stick to just the smoker, and not use other smoke generators that use pellets, etc.
Also, does anyone feel like a slow “ramp up” starting at 130-140, and finishing at 170 or so, is worth it, does your salmon turn out just as good running start to finish at 170??
Thanks much for any advice/inputs, fellers!

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[old sarge]

First off, welcome from SE Arizona.

Steve steered you in the right direction. You are going to have to experiment to find what works best for you giving you the flavor and texture you are looking for. I would recommend reading over all 6 pages in the fish section of the forum.  A lot of great info there. As for wood species selection, and form of chips or chunks, experiment. You will also find scattered throughout the forum those who advocate ramp up, foiling, and those who just let the smoker work as designed. Everyone has their preference. 

Sorry I cannot advise on smoking salmon as I am a pork and beef eater.