Halibut are pretty tough so they would probably be okay. It is better to cut the hook out than to damage a bunch of "stuff" trying to get it out. I have caught halibut with hooks in their throats that obviously didn't have any problems attacking my swimbait! Luckily in saltwater the hooks will rust out in time.

I guess if you're using a trailer because you were missing fish it probably means they weren't taking it down very far to begin with.

When you say the "trout" thing about the Hammers do you mean how I trap rig them? If so I don't believe it is necessary at all when fishing for halibut. I rarely have short strikes when fishing in the ocean and I am pretty sure that when I am getting short bit they are small perch (you can usually tell by how the strike feels).

I am planning to troll for trout with the Hammers more this Winter up at Cachuma and "nail down" the technique a bit. After I figure things out a bit more I will probably write an article about it and try to get it published. I want to try using spectra for the trailer hook so that the trout don't snap the trailer off when they jump.