Just my opinion but I feel the 1/16 is going to be best for your application. I'm like D4D, I test my floats in sink with short piece of line and jig to find ones that sit the way I like them. And 1/16 has just enough weight to kinda hold minnow in place yet still move around some without tangling a lot. That brass rod trick would work same way, just get some peices and trim till the float you prefer sits just right. Might not cast that great but pitching short distance should work great.