One of my favorite ways to fish for fall crappie is to use slow sinking line and cast a small clouser. I cast, let it sink and then retrieve it using the hand twist method. I watch the line very carefully as it tigtens, goes slack, tightens, goes slack. It it's tight when it should be slack, I feel any extra drag on the line at all, a tap, I see the line move or anything at all I strip strike.