I wonder if it would be possible 'save' a gill or gullet hooked fish if the hook was left in place (by slipping it off the snap ring attached to the lure, etc). Then allowing the fish's immune response to expel the foreign body over the next few days (or maybe weeks?). Or would this just be a slower death sentence?
I believe we have successfully saved some gullet-hooked fish. I always carry a very long-handled hook remover.
Link to product at CabelasThere is a way to get down all of the way to the curve of the hook and gently push towards the fish's tail to free the barb. You then twist the pliers to roll the point of the hook out of the gullet.
I have done that and extracted the hook and observed no blood. When the fish was returned to the water it swam deep in apparent normal behavior. I believe some or all of the bloodless fish lived, because I have come and fished the same bank in the evening and NOT seen any floating fish.
As regards fish dealing with an impaled hook, I have caught nice bass that had a rusty hook in their mouth. The wounds on these fish (observation bias to those that lived) appeared to have healed nicely. In my fuzzy memory, these fish had the hook most commonly through their cheek plates (don't know the proper anatomical name) which is a fairly non-fleshy portion of their mouth.
