A Gresham man, Nikolay N. Zaremskiy, is the top earner for 2011 in the northern pikeminnow sport reward program, having caught almost 7,500 fish and making $59,034.
State officials released the list of top 20 earners through Sept. 29.
No. 2 is David R. Vasilchuk of Vancouver with 6,127 fish and an earnings of $55,598. Vasilchuk has caught 16 tagged fish, which are work $500 each.
After Zaremskiy and Vasilchuk, the earnings drop quickly. No. 3 is Thomas H. Pabst of Oregon City with $35,226. The No. 10 angler, Ralph Fontana of Cascade Locks, has earned $14,654, while No. 20, Russell McKee Sr, of Molaga, Wash., has earned $9,974.
The program pays $4 for the first 100 fish, $5 for fish Nos. 101 through 400 and $8 per fish after 400. It ends for the season on Oct. 16.
There are 928 anglers participating this season. Only 79 have reached the $8 per fish level, while 212 have two fish or fewer and 469 have 10 fish or fewer.
