I remember reading some years ago in the In-Fisherman (I believe it was) magazine about a guide that developed a system for fishing for Gar with a very successful hookup rate. If I remember right, he used a length of braided rope that he had unraveled and tied onto the shank of the hook he used like somewhat of a crude fly which he then dipped in some homemade concoction of scent. Apparently, when a Gar took his rig, it had trouble shaking the lure (or fly) whatever, from it's mouth because it would become tangled in it's teeth allowing the angler time to get a good hook set.
WK