that's extremely unlikely. The Cetus is the smallest reel made - it's the only reel made today at the size of the Alcedo Micron, and I promise you it's lighter than a Micron.

Del, I just saw your question about which Shimano?
If I didn't answer it yet, it was the Shimano Stradic C1000S - smaller-diameter-spool and low-geared Japan model (the Stradic FL1000 sold here is the same as the C2000SHG sold in Japan). The over-designed spindle and gearing for big fish abuse was the main reason, but can't argue with Shimano's long-spool stroke and worm-gear line management.
(this one has a handle swap)

Thanks
I've become totally sold on counterbalanced handles on spinning reels - keeps the rotor from turning under gravity when you have a critical length on a rig.
Especially important for Arroyo dock fishing, which we're doing next month.
Doubles are particularly nice on low-geared reels for speed retrieve.

ps - that handle is a hodge-podge of Livre, Gomexus, and Avail parts - couldn't possibly get lighter.

If you look at TackleAdvisor's $100 reel comparison, there are some reels that don't even have main bearings - the main gear simply rides in the reel body in a graphite-filled plastic "bushing"

Noteworthy, the Cetus SS and SE spool is forged alloy (the actual only difference between the SS and SE models is the SE spare spool is composite, and the SS gets a second forged alloy spool - the SS wasn't offered when I bought my SE).

I think you'd have to be the princess and the pea to notice the difference in those weights. There's nothing recognizable in the weight difference between my 7.2-oz all-metal Tica Libra SX1500, mostly metal 6.8-oz Stradic UL, and mostly magnesium 5.1-oz Vanquish UL-- with the possible exception of matching them with super light Toray graphite rods.
When you're holding a spinning rod, there's just no moment arm on the reel mass - it's between your fingers, while the rod tip is how many feet away? (rhetorical).

The stunning difference between the 3 small frame reels is the drive inertia, but you won't notice that until you get your hands on a Vanquish.
While alloy and titanium parts is part of that next-level-low-inertia, the main difference is bench-building with parts pairing in Japan (v. Malaysia mass mfg for most Shimano).


My buddy Stevo got stuck on the inertia difference between the Libra and Stradic, but that's the difference between a $100 and $200 reel
(of course everybody likes the $200 reel better, and the $500 reel is better than that - but isn't he the guy who buys $600 rubber-sealed IRT with the inertia of a Caterpillar?)

It was TackleAdvisors who coined '19 Stradic is The Best $400 Reel You Can Buy - and it's a $200 reel - though $400 '20 Twin Power with it's forged rotor and Japan bench finishing has probably eclipsed that.
If fishing longevity is your concern (throw in line management and cast distance), I will continue to maintain Libra SX is the best $100 reel you can buy, and certainly Vanquish is the Best $500 UL reel, and arguably the best $800.

Look at the Cetus as being a raced-out Alcedo for XUL mono.
The Libra is the poor-man's Stella with advanced line management for braid.

Shimano's 2018+ reels use labyrinth seals (X-protect), which only slow down dunking exposure, and sling out all splash exposure.
Rubber seals add massive stiffness, totally seal from dunking, and are really only needed for surf fishing, where your reel is being washed in sand slurry.

very few carry Tica - there's a service center in far south Texas, the company originated in Washington state with bench-made salt reels, and of course have moved manufacturing offshore and found a bigger world market than in US
Tackle Direct carries Libra SX and conventional salt reels, and Washington office sells through Amazon.

Hi Del,
We use long Japanese rockfish rods, UL and XUL - I have four of them, 7'6" to 8'3".
Change up is a big advantage in dock fishing, so having multiple rods with different rigs is a big plus. Stealth is also important, because they can move to many different lights, so we sit and watch for fish sign, stand up, catch a fish, and sit back down.
They're basically super-progressive fly rod tapers that will protect 2 and 3-lb test, throw 1/32-oz out of sight and the longer ones still have the backbone to throw up to 3/8-oz.


We use them primarily for Arroyo dock fishing under the lights at night, but also take them to the passes in winter and early spring to imitate glass minnows.
If you check the Arroyo link, note that all those fish are males - the males school together and chase bait 25 mi/day, while the females spread out in the flats and stake a breeding/feeding turf.

this is the 10-y-o Takamiya rod that I first matched with the little Cetus

Korean made Black Hole - this 8'er, 3-10-lb test, is the one that I'll take out on the kayak

Kind of exotic and hard to get Yamaga Blanks


ebay search UL Rockfish Rod is a good place to start - Major Craft that turns up is a good brand, and Lou has the Crossstage Rockfish (TackleDirect also imports a lot of MajorCraft offshore tackle, but no US market for rockfish rods)
The Yamaga Blanks TZ Nano came from good timing on a Plat (Nagasaki) purchase - I just happened to check when they showed up on the Plat website while Japan slept, and I snagged one - they were all sold out by noon the next day.
If you start at 7 min on this video, he catches fish with shoulders

Just got back from a little tougher Arroyo dock fishing this fall than ever before. The bait migrations are late, and we never got to fish the traveling schoolies, only the resident nursery trout, which are spooky and a lot tougher to catch.

I broke in a couple of rods and reels this trip, including loaning out a couple of rigged rods on and off (change-up is everything fishing there, so we each keep 4 or so rods rigged, and staged in portable rod racks).

Out of all the UL and XUL tackle I brought, the single best feature in this tricky fishing for subtle retrieves and detecting strikes was double handles on spinning reels. (and yes, the long UL and XUL rods made all the difference in getting the lures out there)
The double handles were notably better than my more expensive counter-balanced Livre handles.


The best all-around rod for its ability to cast a wide weight range and handle big fish was also on the economy end, the Black Hole Dark Horse 8' Rockfish UL
Also, if you google the rod, my Korea ebay vendor Autter has stock again.

though the spendier and 3-inch-longer Yamaga TZ Nano would definitely out-cast it, and remarkably cast lighter single jigs (2 g) - of all the UL rods, not surprisingly, it was the distance-casting champ, and almost more than I needed.
There were a couple of fish I caught because of its longer cast that I wouldn't have reached with any other rod than the spendy Yamaga.
But the 8' Black Hole had just the right fishing feel, great cast distance, and really good backbone for handling those doubles.

yes, that's the rod I own, and that really shined this trip - again, I liked it best with the short double handle on Shimano C1000S (low-geared, small diameter spool).

I had it matched with the FL1000 equivalent C2000SHG (Japan market designation), and a big snook broke off my 6-lb braid. Quickest fishing was to swap reels for my double-handled C1000S in reserve, and the combo shined the rest of the trip (still need to get shock tippet back on the C2000SHG)

saw your edit - ST is solid tip (v Tubular tip), which gives it ultimate light line protection and the ability to throw the lightest lures to surprising distance.

you'd have a blast with it inshore and winter glass minnow imitation - 1/16-oz, 3/16-oz Pins minnows.
I landed 18" redfish on it last weekend, also, and four of my five doubles.

This photo was last March when the glass minnows were getting big and I could throw the 3/16th oz Pins minnow.


Also don't let the economy finish and price distract you - it has unsanded blank with Fuji KLAG guides. Black Hole offshore rods are imported for the US market.
IRT sells high-finish Black Hole rods to match their $600+ benchmade reels - Steve has two, inshore and surf.
https://irtreels.com/product-category/rod-reel-combos/

I'm using the sinking Pins minnow. I have the floater, and have never caught a fish on it.
The sinking Pins minnow suspends well for just about any flats fishing, also counts down in deeper passes, perfect glass minnow shape, perfect action.

I suppose first light you could use the floater for a wake bait of sorts, but I'm usually fishing a dog-walking plug for early morning flats,
or a wake bait - at first light, this is almost cheating...

this is the YoZuri wake bait, 2" gizzard shad, which reflects green and transmits pink - it gives the perfect action with just about any retrieve, and makes a perfect bait wake on the surface.
The lure comes with bronzed hooks and split rings, though, and I swapped both with Owner stainless split rings (#3) and Gamikatsu SPMH trebles size 4.
If you order salt-resistant hooks from Gami USA, I'm sure their split rings are great, too.

On a couple of Japan orders, I've picked up Megabass Dog-X lures - they call this 4" lure Giant SW Dog-X, but it comes with bronzed hooks.
These plugs are world famous with good reason - my favorite has purple at each end

they get the same stainless split ring/ Gami SPMH hook swap and at about 5/8-oz, this is not an UL lure, but dog-walks on your MH rod.