bassen' mike here,

 I am new to this so bare with me.  I could not find a post about this so I am asking if anyone knows what happens when a bass breaks off and stays with the hook?  

 What should I do in a case when I gut hook a bass?  I try like hell to make sure this doesnt happen but it has when I was not paying attention?

 I have loads of other questions because I have been bass fishing for years and am only recently starting to have any real success.  But I will search the posts before I do

It happens to everyone...Especially when Carolina Rigging.  If you do encounter a fish that is deep hooked, if you can see the point and barb you can always cut the barb and reverse the hook.  

I had a good solid 3.5lb LM this summer get hooked in the outer edge of the gullet.  The problem was that when I got the fish in, she tried to swallow the lizard and in turn kept the hook in a positon where I couldn't do anything with it.  So I cut the line and put the fish in the live well.  About 10 mins later I got the fish out and she had spit the lizard out enough to where I could get the lizard off.  I also had enough room to back the hook out, fish swam off no blood and no floating fish.

here is a link to an article that was in In-Fisherman about the very subject:

http://www.in-fisherman.com/magazine/articles/if2806_HookRemoval/index.html

If you can...pick up a hook cutter so that you can snip off the barb end (if possible) and remove all the hook/bait you have left.

I was always told that the hook would desolve from whats in the fishes system??

any one ever heard this ?? Or is this a nother fish story?

Perhaps in 1932 a hook rusted away quickly, however today a hook left in will be there for a long time. In most cases it will not stop the fish from continuing to eat, however learning to remove the hook is really quite easy and should be learned by everyone.

I am going to the hardware store today or tomorrow and purchase two long nose pliers with the longer nose.

One for the boat and one for the pond (bank) fishing.

It is difficult to remove the hook with a short long nose pliers.

I had to go through the gills to save one large female and it really stressed her out. She was OK, but she moved through the water very slowly for a few seconds after I released her.

I have pushed the hook through the bass' mouth or skin and then cut the line to remove a hook.

I get very upset when I have to leave the hook in the fish so I will do all possible to cut the barb or remove the hook as best as possible without harming the fish.

I have caught a spot with part of a rusty hook coming out its butt.  I don't know how long it took to pass that thing.  I took it out and it had about 6" of mono on it.

Here is a good read on removing deep hooks.    

http://www.in-fisherman.com/magazine/articles/if2806_HookRemoval/index.html

Hey thanks to all of you for your insight and wisdom.  I am going to hit the hardware store as well and pick up an extra long set of needle nose too.  

Anyone in the orlando area here looking to offload a canoe?  

I tried removing hooks the way it said in the article, and i found it really difficult to reach my fingers up through its gills and grab the hook.  I think snipping off the barb end and trying to pull it out works the best.  Also if you snip enough off the barbend, the fish has a much better chance of passing the hook and not having the hook get hung up upon exit.  If it is really bad just leave it, i have caught several fish with the hooks coming out of their butts, and they seemed to be doing just fine.  

Do you guys remember a few weeks back, I caught a fish by the snell?  

We have caught 5 fish in roughly the same area with snells in them, one was stuck in the "exit", snell hanging out, hook still up there.  we snipped line and let her go, obviously she's ok so far.

Hooks do not "rust out" like you think, ESPECIALLY as GW mentioned with todays newer metal compounds.  Even a regular steel hook IN SALTWATER doesn't just disappear in a week.  

Below is a pic of the rapala pliers we have used over the past 3-4 yrs.  The split ring "beak" on the tip is PRICELESS for getting a grip at the right angle and guiding your placement of the plier tips while down in the fishs' gullet.

Can't say enough good things about these.  Only drawback is they don't float.  Attaching a floating boat key ring does the job though.