Norm,
I have the article in the In-Fisherman magazine too. Although I am skeptical of some of it, it does make a lot of sense. In-Fisherman is usually reliable and uses research vs. some of the other mags (I know as I write articles for some of those mags
)
Most of the fish I have caught though that were bleeding floated up in the near future. But that may have been due to some actually physical damage vs. something less serious.
That said, I have always been skeptical of those that say hooks dissolve quickly in the gut of fish just as the In-Fisherman article says they do not do so. It would seem the "gold" plated hooks that some folks use would be even worse.
Here's something of interest. To make a long story short I had one of my pellet fed bass break off a line and had a floating popper fly lodged in the side of it's jaw. Everyday I went down to feed those bass I would see him with that popper on the side of his jaw. It stuck out like a sore thumb. On the fourth or fifth day as I was feeding, the popper just floated up. Apparently where the hook went in a hole had worn and the hook had come loose. I examined the hook for any breakdown and there was none.
Come to think of it as a taxidermist I have mounted bass with part of one of their gills torn that obviously repaired itself. So even damaged gills may be able to repair themselves. Maybe it just how tough the fish is and what kind of condition he is in with all kinds of mitigating factors whether he will survive the trama of a bad hook set? I so see a lot of mutilated mandibles from catch and release.
