CountryPhil

Hey guys, I have been reading a lot on this forum lately and finally decided to post! My dad just bought a 2006 Triton Tr-186 with a Mercury Optimax 150. We love fishing and are just now starting to get serious about bass fishing. He used to have a old john boat with a 1978 Johnson 5 hp. Its so nice having a good boat. Anyways..... We have been fishing probably 5 times since we got the boat. Each time being a couple of hours and the last two times being 3 1/2 hours. All of these trips have been to local lakes. I live in Mississippi and we have been to Sardis upper and lower lakes, Lakeview, and Flower lake. The problem is we havent been able to catch any fish! I mean i have been fishing ponds since i can remember and am decently confident in my abilities to catch bass but i just cant seem to either locate or catch them on big water. Is it the weather in the south making them not bite or my presentation? I have fished with everything including Senkos, Tubes, Worms, Cranks, Spinnerbaits, Jerkbaits, and Rat-L-Traps. We have caught NOTHING and am starting to get a little discouraged. We have fished cover located on the bank and trees out in the water but not too much structure on the bottom because its hard to find. Any tips that will help us bring that first fish in the new boat?