As far as size, I usually use a size 4 hook on tailing fish, dressed on the long side so the fish sees it. Bonefish love small crabs. Good luck this coming year. I spoke with him at the National Marine Fisheries Commission where he now is employed. The growth is so variable that there is no good external cue to correlate with the earstone information.
All tarpon have the long fin ray extending from the dorsal fin area.
I hope this helps. Sometimes it feels as if we are just getting started when we hit the end-wall of column length. Many of the answers we uncover serve to spark even more curiosity on the subject and thereby lead to further investigation, but that is what makes the world of fly fishing so intriguing. Thanks for sending in your questions and giving us the chance to spread this information around.