Failed at gafftop fishing?

So I took my buddy out on my boat for the first time Monday morning, I figured we'd load up on squid and shad, hit the jetties, and wear ourselves out catching gafftop, and maybe some drum. You ever hear the one about the guy that couldn't get any action in a cathouse with a $100 bill? That was me. We fished the boat cut, inside and out, 3 more spots down the outside of the North, 2 spots inside the North, the end of the South, the concrete ship, Pelican Island bridge, and Seawolf. All I got to show for it was a really good even sunburn. My buddy kept egging me on "Where's all those big fish you used to catch before you bought this boat?" Cruel words from a mean man, I'm telling you... We called it a day around 4:00, nothing in the cooler but bait.