If you're new to kayak fishing you'll want to start out with cheap setups so that when you eventually lose them overboard, it won't sting as much.

Medium ugly stick tiger is popular for a reason: strong, relatively cheap and can be used for trolling in the salt (halibut, striper, salmon, etc) or fresh (striper, sturgeon, catfish, etc). I bring my nephew and nieces with me on the boat so I actually go one step cheaper and purchase the daiwa ft rods which are just $30 and similar glass builds comparable to ugly sticks.

Eagle claw featherlite rods (yellow noodle rods) are what I buy for light trolling such as kokanee and trout. They can be had for $21 at Walmart and do a great job. I've caught trout, kokanee, bass, landlocked kings with them.

If you're handy with servicing reels this is where you can do well by going with used gear. I look on ebay and marketplace for used 10-15yr old reels that are selling at rock bottom pricing due to the owner upgrading or selling off altogether. Old penn jigmaster, squidder, can be picked up for ~$15-$30 and work well for salt trolling with just a cleaning and drag replacement. I also like to pick up old gen 1&2 abu revo reels for ~$20-$30 and clean them up, maybe replace a worn down part or two and good as new. All my yellow eagle claw rods have old revo reels on them and average about $50/setup. No big deal if my 10yr old nephew drops it into the lake.

I would second Spiffy's recommendation of an old Jigmaster or even a 209 or senator 2/0. They're indestructible, easy to maintain and repairs are simple due to minimal parts. Best of all, you can pick them up off ebay for $30 all day long or even cheaper if you happen upon them at a yardsale. I've got fancy low pro baitcasters and conventionals for the salt but I never leave the docks without atleast 2 poles rigged up with the old, trusty penns. My penns get serviced once a year whereas the other reels with A/R bearings get broken down and serviced every 3 months if fished hard in the salt. 

Jigging, livelining, poppers/stickbait, surface irons?

Westmarine currently has a great deal on an okuma blue cavalla 12ii for a bit over $200. Shimano is closing out their teramar rods on ebay for about $115 shipped. Find a 7ft,8ft h or xh. Together would make a decent 30lb live bait rig. Not the best but decent for a $350 setup.

Could easily find a 2 speed fathom30 on ebay for your heavier setup. I've seen Phenix Abyss rods all over craigslist, fb and offerup.   

If your dad has been in a prowler or tarpon then he should have no issue with the scupper pro granted it is more suited for the smaller\slimmer bodytype. It has a bad rap for being tippy but I feel that's only applicable to the wide and slow pedal barge crowd -- anyone who has been in a sik or 28" wide and under sot will be fine.

You should pick it up for him because if I can make it out to the bay next weekend for halibut I'm definitely bringing it home.

Nice one! Mid 30s?

His tone at the end of the video gave me vibes of:

"but officer, I'm not guilty of speeding because everyone else was doing it too".

Best thing I ever did was start feeding the neighbor's cats. They've come to enjoy hanging out on my property and I've appreciated their rodent extermination services. A couple of kitty poops on my mulch piles ain't so bad after all...