Don't want to start a heated debate or ruffle any feathers, but figured I'd pose this question to the folks that fish Murray. Are the stripers becoming a problem?

I, for one, believe they are becoming a huge problem. I believe they are the second most abundant fish in the lake (first being perch) and I think they are wreaking havoc on the crappie population. They are everywhere and I can't think of another fish that would threaten them. They are on top of the food chain as far as I can see.

I keep hearing that striper will not reproduce in the lake except for a few that find moving water up the Big Saluda and that 1,000,000 are stocked yearly? Why? And if they are a virtually a renewable resource why do we have a 21" minimum size limit 9 months out the year? It just doesn't make sense to me. I see other striper fisheries around the state growing much larger striper than Murray with no size limit. I'm sure this has a lot to do with other factors, but it leaves me scratching my head.

To make matters worse, grass carp are stocked and all the grass has been killed out of the lake leaving virtually no habitat. There is no winter draw down to keep shoreline vegetation from drowning (willows, button bushes, ect.) and promote the growth of shoreline cover. Other than man-made cover, Lake Murray is a cover barren lake.

I've fished Murray my whole life and it seems the lake has taken a turn for the worse over the last 10 years. And at the current rate, I don't see any improvement in the near future. Unless you like striper fishing, cat fishing, or chasing bass who are brained washed by bluebacks (also stocked for striper food just as the perch were from what I'm told) you are better off taking a trip elsewhere these days it seems. Aside from the limit change I don't see anything happening to protect our crappie fishing. And from what I've seen there aren't enough DNR boats on the water to enforce the rules.

What's everyone's thoughts? Am I way off base in my thinking?