One of the mistakes I made when I first started was thinking that every rod I bought needed to be able to do double duty (somehow be a bass rod AND catch YT) Now tell me, how the eff does that add up?
Start slow. I suggest only taking one or two rods out max the first time. Learn the harbors first if you are unfamiliar with what the fish like or where to even go.
Start with light tackle. Keep in mind that when fishing in the bays, you probably want to run 4-6 lb mono. Build 1 rod around that, somewhere in the ballpark of a 4-10 lb rod of your choice. I prefer spinning rods for the tiny line. Thats just me.
Light to Medium tackle- This is my bass/rock cod rod. I have a nice Shimano Compre 8-17lb I use for this. It's paired with a Shimano Calcutta 100 and some Power Pro braid for fishing the kelp. I also have a Calcutta 200 and 400 if I wanted to switch to those. I like the Calcutta's if you couldn't tell.
I have a 15-30 lb Okuma that I hardly use. I will use it for hali's eventually. It has it's purpose, just not in the waters I usually find myself in.
Heavy- Big Yellows and WSB rod. I suggest going to Big 5 and getting a Sabre rod. They go on sale for $40 and work great. Mines a 30-60 lb. I have it paired with a Daiwa Saltist 50, and the reel is just too damn big IMO. A Saltist 30 could do the trick. 50lb Mono as the backbone, and some Braid to cut the kelp when the fish run for cover.... Some people throw a topshot of Spectra on there, too.
I would 100% suggest contacting a guide. It'l cut your learning curve immensely. However, you'll need rods first. Take your time, do it right the first time so you don't spend extra money on things you didn't need. Darkhorse goes highly recommended among those here. I had troubles getting a hold of the guy this summer, but that's just me. That was also durring the "timely report or no report" battle... So I'm not sure if that had anything to do with it. The pictures that get posted from his clients are hard to argue with.