I know of four "techniques" that work :
Topwater - casting & retrieving - trolling - jigging
When fish are feeding on the surface, commonly called "jumps" ... topwater lures work. Poppers, jerkbaits, and surface plugs with a jig on a trailer line work very well, when the surface feeding is consistant. Casting & retrieving a jerkbait, blade bait, lipless crankbait, or shallow running crankbait will also produce. Trolling crankbaits, blade baits, lipless crankbaits, & deep diving cranks w/jig trailing on a leader line ... around the outer areas of the "jumps" ... may also produce. It's not usually advisable to troll through the jumps, themselves, until they have ceased their activity. Jigging a blade bait, spoon, jig, etc. in the area can also be productive.
The type of lure you are using is usually going to dictate the retrieval technique used. But, there are multiple techniques that some lures can be used for .... for instance, the blade bait. Something like a Silver Buddy, Kastmaster, or Cicada can be used with cast/retrieve - trolling - jigging techniques. Shallow & deep diving crankbaits can be trolled, cast/retrieved, and even used as a carrier for a jig on a leader.
Knowing, or figuring out how deep the main school of fish is ... is key to deciding which technique will present the lure at its optimum performance depth, as well as which lure to use to get to that depth.
Topwater lures are usually best used in a jerk/jerk/pause retrieval.
Jigging lures work when lifted quickly, a couple of feet ... then allowed to drop back down on a semi-tight line.
Crankbaits, lipless cranks, spoons & blade baits .... when cast or trolled .... usually work best when a constant speed is maintained.
The job, of any of these lures, is to imitate a fleeing or injured baitfish. Your job is to correctly identify the current situation, mood & activity level of the fish, and select the lure & method that will present that lure to the strike zone of those fish.
... cp