The nickel tour version of definitions of these terms :
Flippin - pendulum swinging the bait "underhand" and not actually casting it (overhead/sidearm).
Dippin - dropping a bait on a fixed amount of line, down into cover.
Trollin - dragging bait/baits along under power of big motor or trolling motor.
Shootin - slingshot casting bait under docks/piers/overhangs.
Flippin/Dippin ... generally a long rod is used (>8')
Trollin ... long rods, all same length or various lengths (depending on spread)
Shootin ... short rods, generally 5' to 6.5' in length
All things considered, spinning rods/reels are the norm ... but, rod/reel brands & lengths & action are personal preferences. Baitcast style reels can be/are used in the Flippin/Dippin/Trollin techniques ... but Shootin requires a spinning or spincast or underspin style reel.
Here's a link to a discussion on "Shootin" (shooting docks/dock shooting) : http://www.crappie.com/crappie/showt...Tecnique/page2 This is just my interpretation of how it's done.
Trollin - has several versions & variations : Longline trolling - Spider Rigging - Slow Trolling - Pushing/Pulling. But are all simply a method of dragging a bait/baits through the water in a constant motion. If you're tied up or anchored (stationary), you are no longer "trollin" ... you're "still fishing" or "tightline fishing", no matter how many rods you have out. Generally speaking, some form of "rod holder" is used for these methods.
The site may be experiencing problems with the Advanced Search feature, but you can still use Google (or other search engine) to find posts/threads on these methods. Simply type in the name of the method (ie "pushing" for example) and then add "crappie.com" ... so that the search line says : pushing crappie.com ---- that should bring up links to discussions about that type of fishing method, somewhere in the links listing.
... cp