Hey there bassman. Winter crappie are really no different than catching summertime crappie (in my opinion). Neither season is optimal for the species but you can still catch'em. Some say they school in winter, others say they scatter. Whichever it is, you've got to locate the fish. Once that's done, you've got to find what they want to eat. I do agree with some that I've read that winter time is a time to go smaller with your bait presentations. Lastly, when it gets really cold the bite might be so subtle that if you're not paying attention extra, extra close, you'll never know you got one. That's usually the problem I have most when I winter fish (if I go - man it's been cold).