“We were shocked,” Basko said. “Not being able to communicate made it exciting. We never really knew where we stood.”

In addition to winning the EPSFA Pro-Am, Pavlik’s Pacific Time team finished fourth out of 36 teams at the 2008 EPSFA Walleye Challenge.

By placing well at both EPSFA events, Pacific Time Sport Fishing earned the EPSFA 2008 Team of the Year Award.

“There are some really good fishermen you are competing against,” Pavlik said. “When you can walk away with first place and team of the year, it’s really rewarding.”

And Pavlik’s success at the EPSFA events was no fluke. His team also finished third out of 80 boats at the Spring Scotty Salmon Tournament on Lake Ontario.

At the Orleans County Pro-Am, Pavlik’s team won the Atomic Big Fish award for landing the largest fish caught at any of the four tournaments in the Lake Ontario Pro-Am Series.

Pavlik’s lunker was a king salmon that weighed 30.12 pounds.

Pavlik said it’s the thrill of competition, rather than the prize money, that drives him to fish competitively.

“You can’t quit your day job at this level, it’s all about bragging rights,” Pavlik said.

“I do it to gain the respect of other fishermen. The competition is a lot of fun.”

Pavlik recently obtained his captain’s license, which authorizes him to lead guided fishing trips in Pa. and Ohio. He also has a Web site, pacifictimesportfishingcharters.com.

“By placing well in these tournaments, that will be good for my business, because it shows people I am able to catch fish,” Pavlik said.

Pavlik’s team wasn’t the only local squad to place well at the last weekend’s EPSFA Pro-Am. Matt Cannon, a fisherman from Conneaut Lake, finished first in the amateur division.

Cannon was unavailable for comment Tuesday.

“Crawford County just crushed all the competition out there,” Basko said.