Brian,
I like to build that first shelf around 4-5' below the surface, and then cover it with pea gravel, or even coarse sand. Then, 3 to 1 slope down to 8-12' deep, and another shelf. Along that slope, I like to anchor big logs, perpendicular to shore, root ball in 7-8' of water, log going all the way to the second shelf. Rock piles, brush, artificial structure, whatever we can get our hands on, placed on the second shelf.
