I've been fishing with minnows straight down off the dock for 30 years. I wouldn't consider myself green - I've caught a lot of crappie that way and quite enjoy it. I can set my rods on the dock, sit in a comfy chair and have a few cold ones. When the fish bite, I set my cold one down, reach down and grab the rod and set the hook. Then I reel the fish in. If I'm feeling really lazy, I put a piece of 6" PVC pipe down into the top of the fish basket and strap it to a pole. Then I just let the fish slide down into the basket without having to pull the basket up. I don't work hard at this stuff.