Sniper and I just cleaned 48 crappie yesterday. I use an electric knife and cut off the filet with the rib cage, flip the filet and then cut it away from the skin. Sniper cuts out the rib cage.

Does anyone have a better method? I watched a guy using a manual filet knife and I think he cut around the rib cage. He was quick too.

Thats the way I filet crappie when using an electric knife. It is much faster.
If I only catch a few crappie and want all the meat. I start with a knife down the back on both side of the dorsal fin just under the skin and scales, make a cut at the gill plate and use the knife to scrape down the spine to the rib cage. Make another cut from the back of the rib cage to the tail. Flip it and remove the skin. It takes a little bit longer but you get more meat along the spine and head area.
I prefer to use the electric knife method.

My fishing buddy and myself do it the same was as you do. He takes ther filet out and I take the rib cage out. Works pretty good that way.

I do it the same way...about 25 seconds per fish

I do it the exact same way. Not too bad at all! I don't mind cleaning fish b/c that means I caught 'em.

Electric vs Manual...
I still use my filet knife...you know the one that has no cord or batteries. It's fast enough for me, just like to see that slice that gets all the filet off the rib cage. My granddaughter wanted to learn how until she saw me cut down the back of the 1st one. Now she only hands them to me out of the basket or cooler.