Where would one start to look for crappies or gills. My wife and I are planing on several days next week Wed,Thurs,Fri night at Everets and she would love to catch some fish. She dosen’t really care for my style of fishing (I always tell her that’s why they call it fishing and not catching).So if anyone has any tips let me know it would make for a much happier wife and a much better trip if she catchs something. 
Crappies love wood and can be found in downed trees along the bank of the river. Check areas away from the main river like side channels and small lakes [backwater areas]. Bluegils love weeds and stickups, again found in backwater areas. Small jigs casted or a slip bobber with a small minnow or even better can be a small piece of nightcrawler on the end of the hook can be all you need to catch a bunch of fish. Check with the area bait shop where you will be buying your bait at for the latest “hot spot”. Good luck and be sure to let us know how you do with a post. Thanks, Bill 
ps. Steve at Everts use to work for the DNR and I’m sure he will share any and all info that he has about panfish spots.
You can narrow your river crappie search even more by looking for the wood that has more depth (I usually don’t find them in less than 6′) and some, but not a lot of current. Especially in the warmer months, they seem to go for the slightly moving water. Maybe it has to do with oxygen supply. A 1/16th oz. jig is all I ever use–lighter and you might have problems with the current. I don’t even use minnows, don’t need ’em. WalMart carries a very cheap maribou jig in that size–about a buck for a pack of ten. If you’re worried about the quality, don’t. They catch fish as good as anything else and after one day of river crappie fishing (snags) you’ll not want to be dropping your dollar twenty-nine/per tinsel jigs into the trees. Good luck on the water!
a good arsenal of rockers will help you out on your way, and you are better off finding water in the depths of over 6 feet, but know that the fish are usually in the 4-9 foot range, minnows can also be a big help for your wife as all you have to do is find the right depth, i took my girlfriends younger brother out, he is 10, so wasn’t to interested in the jigging as it is hard to catch on to and very slow, but i had two bobber poles out for him with minnows on it and he caught the biggest fish, at 13.75 inches, i hope to have that pic on here soon.
Spikes and waxes would both be good to have, seems just like one day they like something a bit better than the other one.
Here is one to think about. On one of my last ice fishing trips my best bait was no bait. Caught most of the crappie on plain glow jigs and rockers. Blew me away. I had my camara with to watch the action. With out it I would not of caught any of them. With a waxie on they would come up and hit one end of the worm. With no bait on they would come up and suck the jig in and back out just as fast. I dont think you would of even felt them. A fast set of the hook and they where on. I think I got about 10 with a unbaited jig.
I also had some good luck using some of my summer pan fish plastics threw the Ice earlyer this year.
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