For crappie, I look for brush or other debris (read structure) underwater or going into the water for them to bed around. They commonly bed (in the south) in Spring around docks especially if you drop christmas trees around your dock to lure them. (Works great for bream too!)

To catch 'em, I use a medium action spinning outfit strung with 12 lb test. Set up with a typical float rig (bobber stop, bobber, weight, and size 2 wire hook).

Baitwise, I only use small or medium minnows.

In my experience, I have the best luck in late afternoon. I usually experiment with different depths to see where they are at. They have VERY tender mouths so you should be careful not to give an overzealous hookset. I usually let them take the cork about six inches underwater before I set the hook to make sure they've got my bait.