I agree with Roberts get yourself a subscription to Crappieworld. I started crappie fishing off the banks myself. The first thing I did was buy a 9' rod and a good spinning reel. Then I would use a slip float and jigs. The benefit to it is you can continuesly change the depth of your jigs until you find the fish. I also would carry a 5' ul and use it to pitch to structure if I was fishing around tight areas where the 9' wouldn't work. Also, dont throw out the good ol' minnow. Hope this works out for ya and good luck.
"If people concentrated on the really important things in life, there'd be a shortage of fishing poles."
Dave