What is the best clear coat for hard plastics?

I have purchased about 20 hard baits in the $15 range and would like to apply a protective clear coat to them that does not yellow/become cloudy, does not crack if it bangs into a stone, protects the paint from chipping, does not affect the original paint, etc...

Not sure there is a best and your going to hear from a lot of baitmakers, each with a different top-coat. My choice is Envirotex Lite and Devcon 2Ton epoxies, both are easy to use and will give great results. The bait pictured is top-coated with Devcon.

jweis, at 15 dollars a bait I gather you talking lucky craft or another top maker.  I would not add any topcoat to those baits.  You could kill the action and/or cause a suspending bait to be sinker.   Those plastic baits a very finicky when comes to increasing the weight and an epoxy topcoat will increase the weight.

No topcoat can protect against a hard hit on rocks or your boat.

Yes, it is for an Lucky Craft American Shad Finish.  That finish has scales that seem to be glued on.  Some are starting to lift and will come off with use.  I want to cover the area with a thin coatr to keep the scales in place.  I will also heed your warning and only apply the clear coat to sinkers or floaters, not suspending.

Thanks

I've been a devcon 2ton user since I started making baits, it's all I know.  But from post on other forums, e-tex lite might be the better choice for you as it is thinner than devcon, may give you the thin hard finish without too much bulk or weight.  You will need a way to rotate those baits while the epoxy is curing.  Good luck