Autumn's cooling water temperatures trigger a movement that sees largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and walleyes relating to steeper-breaking areas. On both lakes and flowing waters, anglers who key in on drop-offs enjoy consistent success.

When falling water temperatures reach the 50-degree mark, I find that walleyes in free-flowing waters begin concentrating in lengthy, slow-moving pools that have a sharp-dropping shoreline.

When such holes are located on a river bend, the steep shoreline usually is found on the outside bend.

Expect to find concentrations of walleyes along bank areas that have at least a 45-degree drop. The presence of rock ledges and boulders, which deflect current and provide ambush points for walleyes, adds to the likelihood that walleyes are using the spot.

As the boat slowly drifts along, jig-type presentations work well when pitched along a rocky river shoreline. I like both tube jigs and bucktail jigs.

In the case of bucktails, I tip them with either a soft-bait minnow imitation or the real thing. Quarter-ounce and three-sixteenth-ounce jigs work best in most situations.

Both walleyes and bass use submerged creek and river channels. This is especially true during the late fall. Though fish location will vary from lake to lake, the most productive areas tend to be ones where the tops of the channel edges lie in 12 to 20 feet of water.

Keep in mind that many Pennsylvania reservoirs experience significant drawdowns by late fall. Channels that were 40 feet deep during summer might be half that by November.

Just as certain shoreline characteristics tend to concentrate fish, the same can be said of submerged creek channels. Features such as sharp bends, merging secondary channels, stumps, bridge abutments, brushpiles and cribs increase the odds that walleyes and bass will be stacked up there. And since fish tend to concentrate in specific areas, it takes a fair amount of patience to find the sweet spot.

Lake maps provide a fair location of channels. Used in concert with a sonar unit, anglers can quickly paint an accurate picture of underwater channels. Global positioning system units that accept electronic mapping programs can lead you to choice channel areas, though the accuracy and detail of such maps varies from lake to lake, as well as from program to program.

Riprap, where rock is used to stabilize bank sections, dams and causeways, tends to be productive during the fall.

Riprapped dam faces are sometimes off-limits to anglers. But on the ones that are open, the rocky, fast-dropping shoreline is attractive to gamefish. Such spots provide access to deep water. The rocks gather algae, which attracts minnows, which draw bass and walleyes.

Submerged vegetation is sometimes found in concert with areas of riprap, which is likely to provide that spot on a spot where gamefish will be found.

Riprap lends itself to a variety of presentations. Diving crankbaits are effective on bass. Bounce the crankbait along the rocky shelf, expecting most hits to occur when the bait breaks free of the bottom.

Drop-shot rigs are another good option, especially along smoother riprap. Keep the weight as light as possible to avoid dropping it in between the rocks.

Jeff Knapp is an outdoors columnist for the Butler Eagle.