Vince,
I've heard that rod finish works as a good clearcoat for lures. The only problem is you'd have to put it on a turner to get it to dry evenly. Rod finish would set up as hard as nails and clear as a bell. Aristocrat, being an epoxy is probably about the same thing I would guess. I would experiment with a few different products on some cheaper lures until you find out what's going to work best.
On the scent topic, I think it's a good idea. I used trout butter on my plugs for the first time yesterday. I didn't have any luck, but i'm going to keep experimenting and see how it goes. My thoughts are that when a bass is following the lure the smell of an actual trout might be just enough to get 'em to srike. Like I said i'm going to keep trying it out until I have a reason not to. If anything, I think it's one of those things that couldn't hurt.-Phil