Hey-
Nice to read what other folks are doing in a similar situation. I have a duda 30 plate mounted above my HLT. I use a wort pump just below the BK to push wort thru the plate and (via some loc-line) back into the kettle for a recirculating chill. Also use a paint bag, but it's suspended on a stainless steamer basket mounted inside the kettle. I'm still having a few issues with different grain bills and clogging of the drain. My filtering regime past the bag is a bazooka screen, another piece of 14 X 14 mesh, and then finally a screen gasket of 20 X 20 mesh. Criminy.
Most brews are fine, but the last one clogged my pre-filter regime. Definitely, all attempts to filter before the plate should be made. I clogged mine the very first time and it was a nightmare. After the filtering regiment, a quick backwash is all I need and makes the whole thing worth it and less time consuming. They are difficult to drain fully of water if they are permanently mounted somehow. I was able to get the one with mounting studs and have it mounted with thumbscrews, so I take it off and shake it out every brew (kind of a PIA, but.. you can't have everything).