There's no place like home

I traveled from Virginia to almost Delaware last week looking for fish, so after an evening of yard work Thursday, I decided to head out into my other backyard Friday night for some light tackle trolling (LTT). I got on the water about 4:30 and dropped my LTT spread into the channel just south of Baltimore Light. Gave a shout out on the radio, but only heard of a few marks, nobody catchin' much above the bridge. Trolled over toward Love Point, then down towards the bridge, but I wasn't marking anything, not even much bait. Finally decided HECK WITH THIS MIGRATORY BS - water temp is up to almost 70 in spots, calm warm day, lots of current - everything is right for the summer pattern on the ledge off Podickory Point. So, that's where I goes. Three seagulls sitting right over the dropoff just north of Sandy Point Light seem to say "try here". FF shows bait on the top, fish on the bottom. (FF is zoomed 2X in the photo, bait is at 15' with 4 fish beneath them at 25 to 29 ft deep.) Dropped over two rigs, you know the deal, 1 oz bucktails pulled deep by crankbaits, and started zig-zagging over the 31' to 19' ledge. My lures are running right in the red zone. First fish within 5 minutes, about 18 inches or so. Turned up two more local yokels about the same size before finally hooking one big enough to keep... 28 inches on the dot and dripping milt. I dunno why, but I guess the baitfish hang right over that ledge, and the feeding fish lay just out in the deeper water waitin' to munch on 'em. That's where they were most of last summer given similar conditions. Dianne calls, says she got some ribs and is firin' up the grill. I suggested she put 'em back in the fridge as I had a better menu item in the cooler. While waiting for the coals to glow, I landed a couple of perch off the dock and one purty little catfish. There's no place like home, there's no place like home......