FISHING – Talk about a down economy:  Even the pikeminnow anglers are seeing their earnings decline.

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 cashing them in for $59,034.

While that’s not bad for a six-month season, it pales to his record performance in 2010, when Zaremskiy caught more than 10,000 fish and earned $81,000.

Of course, the bounty-hunting fisherman still has more time. The reward season on the Columbia and Snake rivers lasts through Sunday.

Zaremskiy is no stranger to cashing in on pikeminnows. He set the previous earning record of $58,000 in 2008.

State officials released the list of top 20 earners through Sept. 29.

No. 2 for the 2011 season 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.

So far, 928 anglers have participated 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.