Whiting on plastics are eeeeeeezi Dan.
Some possible probs with your approach kk. If you're going by boat and you don't have an electric motor, you're already making things tough on yourself. The tide isn't the problem, if you did see the yting there then you've already done one of the hardest parts which is finding the fish. You have to be VERY VERY quiet when targetting these fish on poppers. The chuck chuck chucking of a normal motor will make the fish scoot off, so try beaching your boat and going LB. If you are going LB, take a few steps back from the shore and walking further away from the shore line. Yting will readily hit poppers in <1ft of water. If all else fails, make sure your casts are long enough. Make sure you're more stealthy than a stealth fighter.
If you are going from boat and you have a leccy, cast real shallow and retrieve into the deeper stuff. For some reason whiting hit the poppers as they start to get into deep water?
Make sure your retrieve is pritty quick they like that. The speed will entice them to smash the popper instead of just play with it and you'll miss the hook up.