Looking for recommendations on first rod and reel

I am looking for a good first rod and reel setup for a beginner . I have an ugly stick gx2 catfish combo that came with spinner rod and a small tackle box I got recently but I am really struggling with it and it has been really frustrating is there a better setup for a beginner? I want to catch bass and catfish with it or am I better off with two different setups? Thank you so much any help is highly appreciated willing to spend about $150 for a really good setup to get me started