I caught a bass from a fishing pier while using a 4.75 inch plastic worm on a drop shot rig. When I reeled the bass in and was able to get a look at the hook, the fish wasn't hooked in the mouth, but in outside of it's face, between the eyes, somewhat closer to the right eye than the left. Has anyone had anything like that happen? The fish flopped on the pier for a few seconds, before I could get ahold of it and I can see how it might have dislodged the hook from its mouth. But if that happened, I don't see how it would have hooked itself the way it was hooked when I got to it. It was securely hooked, and it took me longer to get the hook loose than normal. I was almost ready to cut the hook before I got it out.

 

Second, I was fishing from the bank in a different location with a wacky rig with a weedless VMC neko hook, size 1 or 1/0. I had a very strong strike and pull but the fish got away after a couple of seconds. that's not unusual for me, unfortunately. When I reeled my line in the dinger was completely gone. It had been attached to the hook crosswise with rings. Anyone else have this happen?

The first fish slashed at it and missed, a sharp hook probably exposed managed to hit the side of the fish and hooked some meat.  I have had this happen many times.  Sharp hooks catch fish.  
the second time a fish tore the bait in half and your hook set caught a second fish competing for the bait.  Possibly even without the bait still there.  Just a flash in the water now.  Aggressive bass.

I have caught several fish on plastics with the bait in its mouth without the hook in its mouth.  I flipped it in the boat and it dropped on the deck.  The bass just would not let go of the plastic. 

When a bass just has the tail in its mouth and starts swimming, the hook is next to its head. The hookset embeds the hook in the head/face. 2. The bass. could have just had the tail of the finger in its mouth, without being hooked. If that was the case, you pulled hard enough to pull the bait out of the rings.