try www.catfishconnection.com or www.castawaylakes.com. they have everything you can amagine for cat feeshen.

For flats, I strongly suggest a stiff heavy weight rod, with a "fast" action, rated for around 50 lb test... with braid mainline of 50 or 65 lb test. The braid casts alot better than heavy mono, its much limper and thinner, 50 is only the diameter of around 12 pound mono. Biggest advantage when river fishing, and casts are fairly long, is that it doesnt stretch on hookset. When using large baitfish for bait, and limper rods and mono in the past, Id miss many more fish. You just cant get a good hookset when a decent flat had your big bait clamped in his mouth, with all that line out that stretches, with a decent sized sinker to move also and a rod with too much give. Keep a pretty tight drag. You need it for the hookset.

The 50 lb or better in braid is needed due to the shock to the line from a good hookset, especially on a "weighty" fish. Its also better because braid is thin, and if you go with lighter braid its extremely thin, and wears through alot easier, and VERY quickly when rubbing rock. 50 will at times also, but the added diameter helps some.

This heavy equipment is much more important for good casting of the bait + lead needed, for hookset, and for preventing fish from going into snags. You also lose less leaders & sinkers, due to alot of times you can pull loose snags that wouldve broken easily with lesser line.

Btw, They arent at all line shy.

when using mono you must make sure your line is tight before setting the hook.i see lots of guys miss fish because of this. he eman, thats whats nice about the bait caster, you can cast 40# like you can 10# cause it comes off the reel and through the eyes strait. on a spinning reel the line gets caught up on the eyes when casting. braid dry wrotts.