I always use tip-downs when fishing for perch/panfish, and they are really great. I put a small trebel hook on with a fat head or shiner and I always seem to get the slobs on the tip-down and not jigging. I bought mine from a local mom and pop store here in rochester, but they're simple to make. My friend uses two pieces of PVC as the support, and another for the "pole" itself. Drill a long nail through the pole and cut slits in the support PVC for the nail to fit into (across the slits, so the pole will be b/t the two support pipes), and glue/nail the support PVC to a piece of thin, flat wood. You can uses a lots of things for a bail to hold line, he uses the bails that sewing string comes on. Then get some golf club weights and put those on the end of the pole that will be pointing down at rest (the end where the bail is). Hope that gives you an idea!
