I've tried using my curados both super free and regular for big bait with 20lb. Does it work? Absolutely. Is it ideal? I don't feel like it is, and here is why.

When you look at the spool on any of the shimano reels size 300 to 400, it is much thicker than on a low profile. Meaning that if you pulled the spool out with the line on and pinched it bewteen your thumb and forefinger, it would be further across than on a low profile reel. The fact that the spool is thicker means that there is more line per revolution of the spool. Therefore, when you cast, the spool has to make less revolutions to lay out the line. Where a CTE400 might revolve 50 times to cast 100 feet of line, a curado 200 might revolve 60 or 70 times. Those numbers aren't exact, but you get the point. The further down the spool you go on the curado, the narrower the coils of line are and the faster the spool has to spin to keep up. Yeah, the super free has awesome freespool, but when you dump almost all of the line off of the reel on a long cast, it gets squirrely toward the base of the spool. I'd take a CTE400 in a casting contest any day with a big swimbait vs. a curado and I'd bet I would win because at the end of the cast I'd let it just keep flying where the curado spool would be speeding up and at the same time releasing less line.

The other thing to consider is winching power. The handle and gearing on the CTE as the name implies is for Total Efficiency. The curado is geared for speed and for lighter baits. For me it gets tiring twirling the handle on the curado on a big bait. If I was a rich guy, I would own only TE's but as it is I have one and a couple cardiffs. The cardiffs are so-so but at least they have the larger spool and handle.

And one last thing to consider ... You can take an ABU 6500 and lube is up with light oil in the right spots and you can really bomb a bait with that reel. It may even cast further than a TE ( I know that's sacrelige :) ) but it's true. But when you start cranking in with the 6500, it feels like a little toy comapred to the TE because the gearing is direct and the handle is very small.

So like all things, there are tradeoffs, but in swimbait land, I always put a vote for going big and taking the advantage over the fish.