Critters figure out a way more often than we think. I cleaned a bass once, prolly only about a 14 incher, that had a 4 inch rectangular shaped rock in his stomach. All I could figure was he hit at a crawdad or something and scooped the rock up with it and swallowed it. He was fat and sassy too, although not quite as sassy after I removed his filets. I've also released fish with hooks in their throat and caught them later and they were doing fine. Nowadays I don't hardly even try to get a hook out of a gut hooked fish. I just donate that hook and hope for the best.

BKB