There is more than one way for the hook to go also. In July I caught a healthy 17" bass (Wr ~110 just like the rest of the bass in the pond) with a 2/0 worm hook dangling out his back end. I saw it and reached down to pull it out. Just the very last 1/8 inch of the point of the hook was still in; the barb was further up and already out of the fish.
As soon as I touched the hook it fell right out. The hook was completely untarnished - no rust whatsoever. Didn't figure a hook could make it all the way through the digestive system of a bass, much less a hook that size. I don't have a clue how long it would take either, but apparently not long enough to even discolor the hook, much less dissolve it. The area around his vent did look a little redder than normal, definitely a little sore.
The hook was a wide gap Gamakatsu for those interested.
Last edited by csteffen; 11/24/09 12:10 PM.
