Hello,
We make lots of Musky baits, and have used Etex and Crytal Sheen and they are both about the same, decent, hard but flexible, clear finishes, but like you said, take forever to set and cure. We switched to Devcon several years ago for that reason and couldn't be happier with the results. Two to three coats on our Musky baits and we're good to go.
You have to get used to the differences as far as pot life, mixing, etc. but in the long run I think it is better for Musky because it dries harder than Etex or Crystal Sheen IMO. It is also not as touchy as far as the 50/50 mix goes compared to Etex. We only have to turn baits for about 30 minutes and then hang them up. They are actually fishable in 24 to 36 hours although the cure goes on a little longer. You can buy Devcon 2ton
in bigger containers than the syringes from several places on the net. Give it a try.
Rod