I really like your idea of raised spawning beds TJ. I would wonder if the SMB will find them disturbing sitting higher that the rest of the area. I certainly would have tried this idea had I known.
Someone recently also posted a tip on cleaning spawning beds. He used the discharge end of a trash pump to blow off the sediment. Sorry I can't remember who said it.
Combination of all these ideas seems like a good way to go.
