I don't know about you guys ... but, why bother with minnows ?? I mean, you're considering fishing small lakes that are likely overpopulated with stunted fish ... and they're likely super competitive over anything swimming in the water that they think they could possibly get in their mouths. So why not just cast or troll a jig or Roadrunner around the lake ??
And some of those lakes have resident populations of boaters (not angling boaters) that are going to be rippin' & jerkin' all over the place, when the weather allows ... so what makes you think you're going to be able to leisurely fish a minnow ?? OK - OK ... that may be a worst case scenario, but you get my drift ?? Longline trolling or casting doesn't require live bait, nor does it matter so much that the lake isn't particularly calm.

Just my opinion on something to consider !!