One more thing!
If you are brave, and confident.
I know this flies in the face of conventional wisdom, but hear me out.
There are 2 schools of thought on equipment for catfishing.
1. Big, Beefy, Muscle them around. There is a time and place for this obviously!
2. What I like, a nice 6.5 or 7 foot medium action spin cast, 14lb test, check the ratings for the reel and rod, should be on them, I never use anything bigger than 14lb test though. Usually 10 or 12. (DO NOT OVERFILL THE SPOOL! THE HEAVIER THE LINE THE LESS YOU CAN PUT ON). If using a braided line, put a layer of mono on first as backing!
Just use the equipment the way it was intended! Set your drag properly so that you don't get snapped off right away by a larger cat. I think using the lightest equipment possible is way more fun than using heavy action gear and just muscling them around! Don't get me wrong, I have done plenty of fish water skiing, but the lighter equipment is not only more fun with the bigger fish, but it is more sensitive too, and increases the odds of you landing more of the pickers, (littler fish) and having more fun doing it!
Just a thought!
Now use your judgement, if you are fishing in an underwater forrest, or thick matted lilly pads, choose your gear appropriately, but when you can get away with it, I always opt for the lightest gear possible! No matter what I am fishing for. The lighter your line, the farther you can cast, the faster you bait gets into the strike zone, the faster it sinks, the more sensitive everything is too. Especially if you use the trigger finger trick.
I will leave you alone now! Good luck!