article in todays st cloud times they are looking at changing the sunfish limits from the current 20 to 10 effective march 1. they listed 9 different lakes but it essentially makes up the lakes of the horseshoe chain
there wasnt any issues with panfish success with the chain until a couple years after the DNR introduced the catfish to that system????????????
I’m not sure this is an issue of catfish or muskies or anything along those lines.
This initiative is part of a statewide DNR proposal to identify and encourage the return or to sustain lakes that have greater potential for quality panfish.
Other special reg lakes that have had reduced bag limits have showed improvement in overall size. These were lakes previously identified as having that potential.
If some remember, I posted a link to the DNR survey asking for public input. They also held remote virtual meetings in which the public was invited to participate/comment. I believe they’ve completed that process now.
I don’t think in this case the catfish is the culprit. There’s plenty of panfish but by reducing the bag limit there’ll be fewer total 8-9″+ quality fish leaving the lake.
My guess is this is the most viable attempt at trying to implement. Some kind of slot or size limit would likely not get far.
One thing that was pointed out by someone on another page was that this proposal did not include all lakes in the chain. Which would create a compliance/enforcement issue for those boating with a legal 20 fish limit across the other lakes with a 10 fish limit. 
