Most of the time, my lips get installed before paint. I've done it both ways and it's the method I prefer. When masking my lips, I cut my tape with an exacto knife to fit the contours of the bait. (like an arch shape)
It's important to let the paint completely dry before removing the tape or it will tear and pull paint off the bait. I usually let them sit overnight. And I always remove the tape prior to applying the epoxy top coats. Also note that the paint that I use is all water based, and may not be the same as what you are applying on your baits.
Yep. It's a clacker. LOL
It should get chewed on soon. I took a little video of it swimming in the pool today and I'm pretty happy with the action, Need to get a higher quality video at a better angle, but you get the idea.