Pete.I"m no expert but here gos! Crappie will start moving into holding areas when the surface temps. reach the hi 40"s. The spawn will start at about 54* with the Males moving in first to search for nesting areas.As the water warms they will become more aggresive.I read somewhere that the spawn can last around 45 days[54*-73*]. The females are only on the nest for 2-3 days.Ideal spots will vary with regions but here there Water Willows ,Hardwoods in water,ect. which are usually in the backs of bays,creeks,ect. . any thing different in the water should also be checked out!Most of the time the biggest fish spawn first. A early warm spell can move fish in early only to go back to holding areas when normal weather comes back!! Hope I"ve helped some!!!