I've had similar struggles with BG recruitment in my new BOW in east Texas. Newly hatched BG need plankton, so one thing you could do is fertilize until you get a bloom. Otherwise, they'll starve & cover won't help.
Assuming that's not an issue for you -- it was for me, but every BOW is different -- then cover becomes number one. Your idea of placing shallow cover adjacent to BG beds is right on, and something I'm trying to do as well.
In my case I had folks put certain plants in the pond that would help protect YOY BG, as my BOW was barren. This may or may not work out, as plants can sometimes get out of hand! Frankly I wouldn't recommend this approach unless you get a professional to check the situation out carefully.
Brush helps, and I've done it too. The only problem is that it doesn't last. If you don't mind doing & redoing it, that can be a good solution.
Artificial structure DOES last, which is it's great advantage. The disadvantage is cost, which can be considerable. If you want to help YOY BG, not every artificial structure is suitable. You'll want something dense & with small nooks & crannies where the little guys can hide.
Best of luck, sounds like you are already on the right track!
Last edited by anthropic; 06/08/17 12:02 PM.
