The best thing you can do is to hire Crappie Chatt. He is a guide based out of Lawrence. I think just about everyone on the KS board will tell you the same thing. He has a wealth of knowledge. I used to be pretty much only a bass fisher except for the spawn. Now I fish mostly for crappie. You will not only learn but laugh your butt off for an entire day.
Living in Ottawa you are close to a lot of good crappie fishing. Pomona, Melvern and Hillsdale are all good. All have docks to fish in the winter too.