Well I'd have to agree on the taping. Learn to cut some stencils or just practice free hand and blending. Takes a while to get the brush control, paint etc. correct but the end result looks more natural.

How I apply scaling depends on the pattern being painted. The best tip/fact I can give you is to make sure your base coat is dry. You can speed that process up by using a blow dryer, and just try not to put the paint on too thick on at any one layer.

Some netting I just wrap around the bait and clip it on, some I wrap and hold by hand (get some gloves) and some I have stretched over hand made wire frames that I lay over the bait , some is taped to the back of a stencil pattern...

So no right way, no wrong way, and some netting/tule stretches better than others.

Just don't spray too much through the netting or the netting will stick to the bait. Now with that said I have deliberately created more of a raised scale look by spraying, and force drying it while holding the netting in place and then sprayed it again to buildup the scaling effect. But in time you'll lear it takes less paint to create you effects than you think. And once you start layering pearls and iridescent paints over each other for depth of color you will figure that out.

Have fun and yep if your using acrylics just go wash it off and practice some more.