There are a few factors that can help determine which retrieve will work best.
1. Is there any activity in the area? birds, boils or any other possible indication of active Stripers.
a) Obviously actively feeding fish- throw 8-12' ahead of moving fish or 2-4' to the side of, and well past stationary boils. DO NOT cast into the center of a boil. This will either put down the boil (very bad) or get you a small Striper and put down the school (still pretty bad). Putting the lure around the edge of the school will generally get you the bigger fish in the boil. The retrieve here is fast and furious, the more splash and speed the better, especially if your leading the boil. Strikes will be SMASHING.
If you do F***-up and throw into the middle of the school, all is not lost, if they aren't put down immediately, just wait for the school to move and give a wounded/half hearted retrieve after they've move 4-6'. This has resulted in my 2 largest Pencil caught fish, both 20#+, and the strikes are just slurps.
b)Activity, but no boils at the moment- use an active but injured retrieve, if you see a follow try to halfway take it away from them. You won't be able to.
c)Activity, birds in a limited area, either sitting or flying and looking for a meal but no boils within 30 min.- very the retrieve with lots of half dead retrieves and lots of high speed & splash retrieves.
d)Deadsville, blind casting to waste time- very retrieves with a lot of moderate speed & splash retrieves. KEEP an eye on the horizon looking for activity of any kind.

Tight lines,
Wade