Excellent post, charlesml3. I'm sure this thread is going to attract a lot of "to hook, or not to hook, that is the question." I'm not even gonna go there.
For divers who choose to use a reef hook, certainly you want to give yourself the best odds of emergency release, if it comes to that. There's always the knife; I think anyone who's diving in places like you mention in your post should be packing a cutter of some kind.
But what if the knife goes away, or you can't get to it, or whatever? Then it comes down to being able to release the connection to your BC, or that of another incapacitated diver. I personally think any type of typical bolt snap that has a "hook" of sorts in it can be dangerous in this situation. I prefer an attachment of this type:
Trident Stainless Drift Reef hook with 50" line and easy release master clip from LeisurePro.com
... because it does not require you to get some slack in the line prior to releasing it. Even with heavy tension on it, you can give it a squeeze and it's free, yet it holds very well when you want it to.
If you're hooking in a situation where the current is washing up over a corner, yes, you can hug the bottom to decrease the pressure on your line to release it. Two weeks ago in Cozumel, we were diving San Juan (this is north of town, not in the marine park, and hooking here is not against any rules). This is a good second dive, somewhat shallower than a lot. The bottom is covered with short growth, but is fairly flat and featureless in a lot of places. The current was RIPPING, and getting close to the bottom did not decrease it significantly. With effort, I could haul myself in and create some slack, freeing myself. But I was also able, with full tension on the line, to release it from my BC (good idea to hold on to the clip here, or it's bye-bye to your hook).
Anyway, point is, cover all the bases and give yourself the best chance of self-rescue, or of helping someone else!