I just recently picked up crappie fishing and was wandering if you can use the crappie rig while fishing from the bank or if there is a better rig to use.

You can use a Crappie rig from shore but unless you are fishing a specialized area its effectiveness may be diminished. The advantages of using a rig are enjoyed when you can present the bait to the fish over a large area of water. When fishing from the shore you generally have to cast over a large amount of fishable water to reach your target. If you have access to a deep water shoreline that holds crappie within feet of the shore then by all means use the rig. If this is not the case you should find alternative methods to use. I would fish this type of area with a simple slip bobber with a small sinker and small gold wire hook. I would select small minnows as my bait of choice and live bait fish. I typically use a short five foot rod with an excellent casting action. Line should be very light, two pound test preferred with four pound the maximum strength line used. Thoroughly fish the area trying not only different spots but different depths as well. That is the beauty of the slip bobber. It is very easy with a slip bobber to adjust the depth of your bait quickly and accurately. You can also cast more efficiently than you could with a convention bobber because you can reel you line all the way before casting. Just remember to use a big enough sinker to take the line down. This is a tried and proven method of catching crappie from shore the will work for you.