If you aren't doing hydrophone sound-checks in GW periodically... you aren't going to find any traffic. Single-contact radio reports in GW have been greatly reduced in probability.
There's buckets of traffic out there. You just have to hunt for it.
Being a U-boat commander isn't all about bringing home a big haul every patrol.
The worst thing in SH3 in my opinion... is the ridiculous tonnages brought down on a regular basis.