I was happy to see the limits on panfish. Limit is approximately 5. For a summer I worked the boat landings throughout Oneida county checking for invasive species. One day I met a local on Thunder Lake who complained of fisherman bragging to catching 50 fish in the morning and then returning ia the afternoon for another 50. The lake resident shared his discontent and said the lake association voted to not stocking the lake anymore. Today I found a comment from a owner of a panfish website in the Upper Penninsula of Michigan who posted that fish populations were being depleted by the use of locators and fisherman keeping the big spawners.
My biggest support for the lower limit is the kids fishing from a pier or a bank by themselves or with friends. Bigger panfish fuel the enthusiasm of youth to fish. I'm reminded of my own youth and trying to entice some big crappies to bite on a huge streamer fly while fishing from a pier. Remember what excitement you can read off a child's face when he's caught a nice fish.