AK, I use spreader bars for both lings and halibut, make them myself out of galvenized high tensile fence wire left over from fencing projects here on the ranch, so they are basically free. What this does for me is allow me to spool the line to the bottom at high speed, keeping the bait away from dogfish and small rockfish, without tangling the leader on the mainline. Speeds up the fishing and ensures that you are always fishing effectively. Can't imagine fishing a big bait in deep water without them - I'd go nuts worrying about whether I tangled the gear up on the way down. Guess the fishing is so good up in Alaska that the edge this setup gives you must not be necessary, but down here you want to be damn sure your bait is fishig effectively all the time.

Oh yeah, a tippet of 40 pound Berkley big game for the big toothy fish, with a chunk of 20 pound between the tippet and the spreader for when I hang things up. 20 on my lead line too. 50 pound Power Pro on my mainline - love that small diameter (12 pound) - cuts about a pound off my lead in deep water