Haha, funny. Gflo, a couple things, again from a fellow beginner. First, you're going to get birds nests. Plenty. Get good at getting them straightened out. I got myself a baitcaster over the winter and love it, but the first couple months of practicing nonstop I was constantly, nearly every cast, pulling line out. Just a part of learning. Oh, and my kid picked it up once and let it go and that was a really big mess.
But, you're right, the cast and retrieval of a lure is great practice and great fun. A lot more exciting than sitting and watching a bobber. One more thing, in regards to catfish, a method we've used in the past is chicken liver wrapped in pantyhose. Keeps it on the hook easier. I haven't been catfishing in a while, but have had great success with that method in the past.
I'm using a braided line for the first time in my MH baitcaster and I love it. My casts are further and so much smoother and so much easier to unravel when I get the occasional birds nest.
