Whats a good setup to fish minnows for crappie without having to buy the store made crappie rigs

Simple rig is tie on a hook and use a pinch on sinker about 6" above the hook. If you want two hooks, look up Todd Huckabee loop knot on youtube and tie the second hook using the loop knot. Put the sinker in between the two hooks or use two loop knots and put the sinker on the bottom. If fishing brush, I'd stick with one hook and a sinker close to the hook to bounce the hook loose when you get hung.

Pinch the head off a minner(if you MUST use one) and stick it on a jig.

I like using a 3/8 oz bullet weight (place line through the pointed end of weight). Below the weight tie a #10 black swivel (not the snap type). I like using the #1 aberdeen hook. You can buy the already made ones or buy a box of 50 hooks and make your own leader. I like using 4 to 6 lb test monofilment leader in case the weight does not release hook (loosing hook with less lb test line than your reel line cuts down on expenses. If you don't set the hook on hang ups, the larger bullet weight when slightly bounced will release most hang ups. Suggest hooking minnow in the eye socket (behind the eyes) or through the tips of the minnow lips (bottom lip up). Once the eye of the minnow is gone, replace. I actually prefer fishing a jig over a minnow put at times the crappie prefer a minnow as bait of choice. Hope this helps.

thanks for the input

99% of the time I fish them on whatever jig I am using at the time,simply hook them thru the nose or between the eyes and fish it like a jig. The good thing about a crappie rig with the weight on the bottom is it keeps you from hanging up as much and works will on the large corps piles like those on RAy Roberts,I will use them also for kids or people who don't fish very much.