First, try to locate an area that has depth plus shade . . . ideally, the shade will come from some kind of structural element, such as brush or timber, or a rockpile can be good. If there is any weedgrowth, sometimes the crappie will seek the shade of it . . . if the pit is deep enough, the crappie will likely suspend in the cooler water (thermocline) . . . also, an approach that has worked well for me is simply to take a bright lure and lower it until you can't see it anymore. The crappie will be at that depth or lower usually. A jig with a Crappie Nibble on it is a good search lure, and so is a plain-old minnow. Hope you get into 'em!
Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after.
Thoreau