Night time when the river is high and the water muddy ,spring run off .Put a worm on your fly rod and fish the slack water pools near the bank .
I have the Omega and its not that great of real. If you want a really tuff spincast real that cast well get a Rhino reel , best spincast you can buy.
I would bet the rod is graphite ,graphite is very brittle.Buy e glass or fiberglass both very tough.
If its a closed face reel its probably a bait cast reel.The eyes should be up ,the reel should be up .If it doesn't cast good you may have to much line on the reel or if you cast and the line jerks or stop and your bait goes flying you may not have enough line on the reel.
Don't fish on the bottom.
I like Abu Garcia for reels and Rapala and mepps for lures.
Put a worm on with a small split shot and find side pools with less current and do this at night.You want believe the success you will have.
I have caught many trout and i can tell you the best choice real is a good bait casting reel with 6 to 8 lb test line. If you want to catch a lot of fish in a river use a mepps anglia # 2 spinner.Tie it direct no swivel if the shank of the hook has a red tube on it cut it off.If you fish steady for long periods let out 3 or 4 ft of line and let it unwind.No swivel the line gets twisted .Use gold on sunny days and silver on cloudy days.
The penn would be enough but not the best choice for catfish.The penn is not the best for casting.I would get Abu Garcia in a Record or 7000 i .Same gears in either reel but the record is a lot smaller reel and easier to handle.
I have a worm box that is a box in a box ,you put worms in the center box and ice in the outer box. You can keep worms in it in 100 degree weather for several days.Don't forget to add new ice when needed.
I use braid line and always tie a less test leader on to the main line ,then if you get snagged the leader breaks and you don't loose a lot of line.
I don't mind rusty hooks but be sure to sharpen the hook each time before use.That makes all the difference when it comes to hooking the fish when you get a bite.
I also use Abu Garcia Bait Casting reels.I don't think mono is your best choice for a bait casting reel.I use Power Pro braid which gives me smaller diameter line more strength and less stretch .
I use Ugly Stik Tiger Rods,you can't go wrong with them.They aren't cheap to buy ,but worth every dime.You can find great deals on them on Ebay.
I think it has to do with how the reel is stored when not in use.I use a soft reel bag that has compartments for six reels.I keep them in my heated shop.They never see the sun light until I take them out for fishing.Mine seem to stay strong and in good shape for up to 4 yrs.I use Power Pro 65 lb test moss green.If I use the line in Salt Water I rinse it off real good when I finish fishing.