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The game played in searing heat understandably slowed in the second half but not before the Londoners had scored four in the Premiership for the first time.
However Bolton's first attack produced their only goal. Youri Djorkaeff received the ball on the edge of the box, knocked it past Alain Goma who made the slightest of contact with his fellow Frenchman.
It was enough for referee Alan Wiley to award a spot kick despatched with aplomb by Michael Ricketts who sent Edwin Van der Sar the wrong way.
And on nine minutes an inswinging free kick from Steve Malbranque just missed first Sylvain Legwinski and then Steve Marlet who dived in vain at the back post.
If the first penalty was dubious, the second looked even less likely. Malbranque's astute pass saw Louis Saha trick Gudni Bergsson as the Fulham striker went past him.
It's doubtful Bergsson got much contact on Saha but the Fulham player got up to hammer the ball past the right hand of Jussi Jaaskelainen.
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There was nothing Jaaskelainen could do to prevent Fulham scoring a brilliant second. Malbranque started the move on the right, Steve Finnan chipped into the box, and the tackle from Sean Davis saw Legwinski beat Bruno N'Gotty to fire home left-footed.
It got better for Jean Tigana's team. The constant threat of Luis Boa Morte down the left was too much for Bernard Mendy making his debut.
The right-back clearly tripped Boa Morte five yards inside the box and this time Marlet converted the penalty.
There was even time for a players' scrap on the stroke of half time. Boa Morte and Bergsson squared up to each other and ten other players joined in.
The referee separated the jostling players - his last duty of the half.
The second period was a much tamer affair heightened only when two subs provided Legwinski with his second.
Junichi Inamoto crossed for Facundo Sava to head back. Bolton barely cleared their lines and Legwinski shot low and true into the corner of the net to inflict the same margin of defeat against Bolton as they had done last season.