Due to technical problems, this Jay Hewitt’ column did not run in last weekend’s edition.

My neighbor Mike gets excited about the start of new seasons and the hybrid bass season is one of those opportunities that gets him charged up for fishing.

We are fortunate to be near two of the PFBC stocking areas for hybrid stripers. Lake Arthur and the Shenango Dam Reservoir in Mercer County are excellent fisheries for this species and the start of June is the perfect time to try your hand at striper fishing.

These bodies of water provide the right habitat for these hungry predator game fish and the season is open all year round — unlike the big bass programs for largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass — which is closed until June 17.

The buzz around striper fishing got started when Mike and his partner at AK Steel got to talking about night fishing at Lake Arthur due to a lot of shift work schedules.

That was just the ticket for these boys who took an interest in the fish that love the evening hours as they chase alewives out on the shallows. Stripers are school fish and they hunt in packs for forage fish which get rounded up in tight groups before they are feasted on by the hungry stripers.

This is where anglers enter the picture at Lake Arthur. Now is the time when the runs of stripers are most likely going to catch your attention as they blast the alewives out of the water. They can be fished from shore or by boat when the run takes place.

Lake Arthur is one of the lakes that the PFBC requires a permit for casting nets. The casting nets are used to gather bait fish that are also schooling up, which in turn attracts the stripers.

The nets require a $10.90 permit from the PFBC and are limited to 20 feet in diameter. The daily limit in possession of alewives or gizzard shad is 100 of the baitfish. Regular angling methods are also used to catch these bait fish with a 50-fish limit.

Remember the casting nets are not allowed on any other local waters! If you are not interested in catching bait fish, many anglers like to throw plugs at the striper schools.

I have some clear Rapala plugs with rattle beads inside that are effective in getting the attention of a striper. Any lures or plugs that might imitate a gizzard shad or alewives will do. Just plop them in the middle of the activity and twitch them like a wounded bait fish. You better have stout tackle and at least 10-pound test to haul in these torpedoes!

To really get my neighbor pumped up, we entered the Slippery Rock Friends of the Library Striper Tournament that runs for about two weeks in June. The entry fee helps the library and gets us a couple of T-shirts to boot!

It’s a catch and release tournament with prizes for the top fish that are brought in for a picture. I told Mike that I would bring the Fish Hawk down to Lake Arthur for the night shift activities. This should be an interesting evening with those fellows.

Turkey season has come and is now over for the spring gobbler hunt. We have been on the lookout for hen turkeys with their poults and so far, the tally is one hen with one youngster. The heavy rains and cold weather are not favorable for a successful hatch, but we will keep our fingers crossed.

We do have a rooster pheasant visiting our yard regularly and he has made eyes with a lonely hen turkey. They are often traveling together and neither seems to know that the other bird is not their species … hmm … ring-necked turkeys!

Oh well, as we all know there are plenty of odd couples in this world.

Last but not least, I have my fingers crossed for an elk license drawing in Colorado. The results will come out this week and it will help me plan my western hunt with a bit more clarity.

Each district in Colorado has its own hunting draws and is closely monitored for herd health and capacity. We will be hunting on private land and it will be different than on the public hunting lands.

Either way it goes, I know that I will need to make some visits to the rifle range to get ready for a chance to harvest an elk successfully. The rifle of choice for this year’s hunt will be a Remington Model 700 in a 30-06 caliber. I am really comfortable with this rifle and I know that the rifle can do the job in Colorado.

Over the years I have learned that using a tool effectively and confidently can bring the best results for your efforts!

Jay Hewitt is an outdoors columnist for the Butler Eagle.