For me it depends what the wave is breaking on.

Several of my favorite spots have big boulders in them with fairly steep walls. 6+ foot vertical walls. I always think of the backside of them as being like the bed of a pick up truck. It's likely to be a dead spot with minimal turbulence, and I think the stripers lay up right in there because of it. So in that case, the moment that wave passes, I'm parking a plug almost on the rock, deep in the froth, and working away from it. A lot of my poppers have serious damage to the ass end because of it.

I picture the striper sitting in there waiting and each time a wave goes over he's looking up to see what came by in the passing wave. If something is there, it gets crushed. A good pencil popper heavy enough to settle and work in the mess (usually yellow over white or white) is often my weapon of choice followed by a metal lip. Herring color almost anytime, blurple for the other times

A more mild, sloping rock causing the whitewater changes my tactics a bit.

The wetsuit is of course my choice for nasty whitewater. I just feel safer in it.

http://www.surfcasting-rhodeisland.com/whitewater1.jpg
I like stuff like this...just at night
I like points and its interesting how the whitewater will often make up in a point - like in the picture above.
Freaking rife with possibilities....
Rolling, well spaced waves, discernable foam lines...Peaks, waves coming from multi directions, 2-4 footers.

Pete - It reads like your describing visualization, I'm a believer.