From what Ive seen, you just gotta be on the water when the fish are biting... there can be 20 boats there on a saturday and catch 40 fish total, then the next day 10 boats go and catch 100 fish..... right place at the right time.... if you find some structure thats holding fish as soon as you cast to it, try a bobber to keep your bait up a little off the brush and stuff... Ive also found when its cold like this watch for large rock banks, it helps heat the water faster than if it were a mud bank ( of course the bottom needs to be crappie satisfying )..... try retrieving slow, if that doest work try slower.... last year all winter long I dont think i ever caught one while reeling in slow... I would reel it in as if I were bass fishing in mid summer.... ( I as well am still new to crappie fishing )