There's so much to cover about crappie fishing, technique, locations, ect. Right before the spawn is a tough time to locate fish. They are moving every day and night. You're not the only person having difficulty locating crappie right now. And the recent arctic weather didn't help; disrupted the spring pattern totally. Things just now beginning to return to some type normalcy on some lakes. My best advice is hire a guide for one trip and ask a lot of questions or find someone willing to take you out and teach you. Fishing will get more consistent once the spawn has tapered off, first of May and going forward. Don't get discouraged. Plenty of seasoned fishermen struggle this time of year.