I've been bass fishing, and I heard crappie taste amazing, and sense they're usually in the same ponds/lakes, I figured maybe i'd take a break from bass fishing during each day, and fish for some food =)

What works best? What lakes in Northern Cali? How do you find them / where do they hide?

I will be fishing from shore... So keep that in mind.

Thanks guys!

beetle spins work nicely.

Live minnows are the absolute best bait for crappies. When the spring trees are in bloom is the best time to catch them in the midwest. Crappies like to school around cover. If you catch one by a fallen tree or brushpile, stick around, chances are you'll catch many, many more. Use a bobber & splitshot rig and experiment with different depths until you find how deep the fish are. Deeper water crappie will rise up some to strike a minnow, they will seldom go down after bait. A lighter sweeping hookset works better than a hard hookset. Their mouths tear easily, so keep steady pressure on them when you reel 'em in or they might shake the hook.

Good artificial baits are marabou jigs fished vertically, beetle spins, and tiny crankbaits.