Hey I have been fishin with a Zoom Red Shad for about 2 days and I'm not really sure if i have gotten a bite yet. And I really don't know when I do get a bite what it will feel like. I've never caught a fish with a plastic, but the lake that I have been fishing many yearlings will bight a panther martin small fishing lure. Thats the only thing I have ever caught anything on this lake. This lake doesn't have any fallen trees or anything but it does have a side with rocks that I have fished very hard. Are there any other baits that you might recommend that I should try on this lake. Or the more important thing is how do I know if i get a bite.

Ethan...

The thing you should pay more attention to is what your worm feels like as it is moving across the bottom and bumping into rocks, logs, and other stuff on the bottom. This is what you will feel 99% of the time. Anything different from that is probably a bite.

Another thing to try is, go out in your back yard with someone else and your rod. Hook your hook to something solid. Back up 30 yards or so and pull your line till it barely gets tight. Hold your rod with tip at about 10 o'clock. Close your eyes and have the other person tap on the line about 2 feet from the hook with a pencil. This is what a soft bite feels like.

When im fishing plastics i usually can tell it when my rod bends twice, or my line is moving. This requires alot of attention. But sometimes they will just put it in their mouth and not do anything. Most of the time its 2 taps.

another thing  a bite will feel like   is if you just snagged a wet wash rag. if your worm feels a bit heavier set the hook . you can also hold the line between your fingers to help feel a bite.

In my case, virtually all bites are detected by seeing the line move off, at which time I set the hook. I rarely feel a bite, even with a sensitive superline.

Be a line watcher and stay alert so you can detect a bite by either sight or feel.

if youre not sure if you have gotten a bite then you probably havent.  Tap tap tap tap  or if you see  your line move off .

lots of times as it has already been said youll feel a tap tap tap if you feel this or ANYTHING out of the ordinary look at you line where it is going into the water, if its moving i always reel down to a 9 oclock position and SET THE HOOK !!!!!!!!!! remember if your fishing this weedless it has to penetrate thru the bait before it will go into the fish so dont be affraid to set that hook good . thats just my opinion. good luck and listen to these guys ....they know what they are talking about !!!!!! ;D