Ward made the first cast into the lake with a Kastmaster from the bank of the recreation area near the marina. He got a bite on the third cast and hooked a big fish on the next cast. "I think it's a bass," he said. After a long battle on his light spinning rod, he worked the fish towards shore and we could see it was a long, slender holdover rainbow. I netted the fish, he took it off the hook and put it back into the water.

"Congratulations, Larry, you got the first fish legally caught on the lake," I said as I briefly shook his hand and scurried for my fishing rod. I decided to throw out a nightcrawler under a plastic bobber because it is an effective way to catch a variety of species, including black bass, trout, bluegill and catfish. As soon as the nightcrawler hit the water, a big trout grabbed it and I soon had the 2 pound, 16 inch rainbow in the net.

After catching the two fish, Ward and I went to lunch and talked about how surprised we were that the first two fish caught were trout, rather than bass or other warm water fish. However, Bob Nuzum, head fishery biologist for the Contra Water District and the Los Vaqueros Watershed, wasn't surprised.

"I've seen those trout hanging around the docks and other areas on the lake," Nuzum said. "There's deep water close to shore, so those fish can move into shallow water to feed on minnows."

Anglers can expect it to be one of the hottest fisheries in northern California, since the reservoir has such a great forage base. "This reservoir has 10 times the plankton found in San Pablo Reservoir," said Nuzum.

Gamefish found in the lake include rainbow trout, kokanee salmon, Florida-strain largemouth bass, striped bass, bluegill sunfish, redear sunfish, green sunfish, Sacramento perch, bullhead catfish and channel catfish. The larger fish have many native and non native minnows to feed on, including threadfin shad, inland silversides, golden shiners and hitch.

After lunch, I tried my luck from the bank again. The fishing was great! I threw out nightcrawlers on my Shasta Tackle Angler's Touch spinning rod and proceeded to catch four more fish, topped by a 22 inch sleek and silvery rainbow that fought like a spring-run steelhead.

The invited guests who went out in the rental boats that day also found good action in several hours of fishing. Garrett Nelson of Pleasant Hill and Nathan Anderson of Concord landed six trout while trolling gold Blue Fox spinners up to 20 feet deep around the points near the marina. Greg Feede of Antioch and Dale Peterson of landed five rainbows while trolling Panther Martins at 10 feet deep.

On the following day, all of the anglers in the eight rental boats came back in with early limits of rainbows, according to Brad Rhines of the Los Vaqueros Marina. Three anglers in one boat brought in three limits of rainbows and also reported releasing numerous fish while trolling Triple Teazers on leadcore line.

The bank anglers also did well using nightcrawlers, Power Bait and lures, though not everybody caught limits. Most of the fish caught were in the 2 to 4 pound class, but bigger fish are expected in the catches as anglers unlock the secrets of California's newest lake.

Most anglers focused on trout on the opening weekend, though anglers also reported catching two big largemouths by the dam. Because of the depth of the lake (135 feet at its deepest) and a high tech aeration system, rainbow trout and kokanee will be able to survive here year round, according to Nuzum.

Shore fishing access at the lake is excellent, with hiking trails hugging the shoreline of the north and west sides of the lake. No public access is available on the eastern shoreline or watershed. Four fishing piers, including a handicapped accessible facility, are available for the shore-bound angler.

Public boat launching is not allowed. The only boats that may be used on the lake are the 26 rental boats available at the marina from Urban Park Concessionaires. For more information, call the Los Vaqueros Marina, (925) 371-2628. The parking fee is $6.00 and the fishing fee is $3.00. Make sure that you pick up a free copy of the Los Vaqueros Watershed Trail & Facility map at the marina to check on the lake's facilities and regulations.

The Map