I worked my entire life working on creating manuals, implementing procedures, work instructions, revisions and amendments for companies. The Fish and Game licensing issue resolution is not as complicated as they make it. Just 1.PLAN: establish the objectives, 2. DO: Implement the procedures 3. CHECK: Monitor, measure and report results 4. ACT: Take action for continual improvement. Their F & G problems seem to be #3 & #4. now the easiest way to find the problem is by using the 5 WHY's approach . 1st why, Why do we have a licensing problem? 2nd why depends on the first reply and follow the sequence of why's by the time you get to the fifth why you'll your answer. Now that you have your answer, implement a corrective action with a completion date. The problem that I found in this type of problem resolution were the dinosaurs who have established themselves in these civil service jobs and refuse to adapt to the present existing conditions. What I always heard from these time card and benefit bandits was "that is the way we have always done it" or "it's not that easy". In the meantime, they lose money and they create pissed off customers. It is really not that complicated they just need bigger weights in their scrotums.

Here's a logical old salt, I would bet that you did not fail too many math tests in school, that's what I'm talking about !!!
Now here's the other side of that coin, my old pal bought a year's fishing license in November full price when it expires in December. You see how us fishermen balance each other out. lol

My only bone to pick with California fishing licenses is that they are not pro-rated. You can buy one day fishing licenses for about a third of the cost of a full year's fishing license (for one day?). If you plan to do a lot of fishing in 2021, buy your license in January but if you have deep pockets, I guess it would not matter. I get checked by
Fish and Game about twice a year in California waters. In my case, I'm retired so I tend to squeeze those nickels until the buffalos shit.

You may catch white croakers mostly (high % mercury content), undersized flat fish, mackerels at that pier. The bait most often used is frozen anchovy pieces. Shrimp for bait well not for me, I rather clean it and make me a shrimp cocktail with them. Try the Malibu pier the ambience is better there. lol

I was thinking along the same line. that is not a knot, that is a braid. That would be fine if your attaching a tug boat rope to a hangman's hemp rope, but tying a 4# test line to a 2# test line leader? Nah. I guess if you're broke and you're attaching strands of discarded fishing line from the shoreline or boat decks? Man, this is almost 2021 and swivels of different metal types and sizes are really, really, really inexpensive why would you want to do that? You're overthinking it, bored as hell and have too much time in your hands. I don't want a work project, I want to relax and fish. lol

Without Googling it, my first guess what F.....G Knot, but then I realized that this is not that type of group. lol

Toro, almost everything is gone due to the water level; The Lagoon, West fork, Catfish Tree, Woodies Point. the main boat ramp, all gone. The Horseshoe is a straight line now with a boat ramp on it for Irvine staff only. It's nothing like it used to be, the shoreline is, full of submersed underbrush and weeds you'll snag at every third cast, if not on every cast. The staff is minimal and the store supplies are very limited and ancient. Now with Covid-19 and the reduced attendance, it's not looking good.

No, I was never there in the 80's. I drove and stopped in Barstow on my way to Vegas many times, that's what I meant to write. It must be another Manny for sure.

I am not he. I have been in Barstow many times but I do not reside there.

it's been 40-43 degrees in the mornings these mornings and for most native Californians that is sub-freezing temperatures and it's also Christmas day. It's all shore fishing at Irvine Lake now, no boats, or water craft allowed. I know this lake and I have to do some research such when did they unload the trout and in what area of the lake were the trout dumped. This location is very important to me because these trout like to hang out at the dumping sites for some days before they get their bearings and move out to deeper water. I'll take some photos for sure. The day after Christmas looks good.

Since my early 20's I had favorite fishing reservoir, (It's still there) it's Irvine Lake in Orange County California. I used to fish there regularly when I could see, to set Palomar knots on #16 treble hooks. I never got skunked there, not once. I fished for stocked lake trout there. This lake was closed for some time due to legal political city matters. I never looked into it since it was closed, I'm of the old generation and not computer savvy, to me "Re-boot" in computer lingo meant to think about buying new boots for myself, well you know what I mean.
They finally re-opened the lake. I decided to go fishing there again and invited an old friend to go with me. It was a Monday, We took everything we could think of with us. We got there before the rooster crowed and the gates were already opened, crap, we're late. I drove in, and came to a chain link gate which read "Lake Opened Fri-Sat-Sun only" oh man, I took a shower for that? We're stubborn old farts so we were there again the following Friday. The entrance fee was only $5 and no fishing fishing license required. What?" "quick Get your stuff and lets go before they realize their error" I told my friend. The lake was very low, so we had to hump all of our gear down a dirt and gravel road about 1/2 mile before we got to the edge of the lake. 3/4 of a mile if you want a good spot and 1 mile if you want a great spot. all vehicles are prohibited and no old farts shuttles exist. Not a trout was caught on the famous "West Shore" of the lake that day by anyone. There were only single digit carp caught by some folks using something that looked like baseball size orange rice balls. We were skunked for 5 visits straight to this lake. What? Finally for our 6th visit my grandson looked in the computer and told me " Grandpa, it says that they don't stock trout at this lake, whatever is there, are left overs of when they first re-opened the lake" Jeeeeesssssusssss! Now he read that the week of 12/21/20 they will be restocking it with Idaho's farm trout. We have been vindicated, we are good trout fishermen...maybe.

Maybe It's Bonito he's talking about, they resemble stripers. Just a guess.I have fished high and low in southern California beaches and I have never seen a striper. Just sayin...

"Acting on a a late-November tip"= One pissed off fishing partner who was not invited. lol

These are the type of topics that used to drive me nucking futs when I was in high school, when the only question I asked my science teacher was, what type of bait he used for catfish.

I worked in a steel foundry all of my life and sometimes customers would complain about their stainless steel castings being stained. We got so frustrated explaining to them that the root cause was the sandblasting that we did prior to shipping to coat them prior to shipping them which created the spots. Finally a pissed off Q.A Mgr. told one of our customers. "stainLESS, does not mean stainPROOF". I guess this applies also to "snagLESS" hooks. lol