Based on the background scenery Skeet we could be fishing the same place, which of coarse we arent.
My thing is single poling with jigs along those weed edges for Crappies.
I also keep a rigged 12’ telescopic rod handy for reaching out to some of the holes in the weeds.
I usually have an 8’ rod in a holder on the opposite side pretty much straight down, which is usually about 4’.
I also will often have a shorter rod with a float trailing behind maybe 20’ or so.
As a rule i will catch a nice blugill on pretty much every trip, and occasionally a warmouth as well.
I also get quite a few of the tap tap hits as opposed to the crappie thump.
Im thinking that i should forget crappies for a trip, and use a worm on a hook or a small jig and just see what happens.
At least on the rod im holding in my hand.
As for the surface action, im always watching for that, as im not much into using electronics.
Also i believe birds on the grass beds are an indicator as well. Numerous birds often means lots of bait being chased from below the grass.
But no doubt some of the surface activity is caused by Tilapia as well, and that can be a bit misleading.