Eyefish, I think your concern is a valid one. Some fishermen use bbq skewers for herring rigs. Can't see how those would pass through a fish and not cause the problems you're worried about. Back when chumming was allowed in most lakes, a fisherman told me he found a number of dead trout floating in Lake Wilderness. He said, upon closer inspection, the trout all had obstructed intestines; plugged with whole kernel corn. If fish can't digest corn, there's little chance a large wood "tooth pick" would be altered much while in transit through the gut.