I was curious, so I did a search on Peedee River. There is such a river, and it's in the Carolinas. For an eye-opener, google it yourself and go to the page for Robbie the Guide. There are some pictures of catfish on his site which must be seen to be believed.

It gives me pause when I think that the Mudcat is named for fish like that.

Here's a quote from Robbie's site:

"Please make sure you have a tight grip on my rods before getting them out of the rod holder when a fish is on. These catfish pull really hard and can jerk a rod and reel right out of your hands. If this happens or you drop or loose any of my equipment in the water I will expect you to pay for it. My rod and reels cost $250.00 each."

I visited the Suanee River (the river Foster settled on) once. It was beautiful.