Looking for tackle ideas for huge browns. I plan to fish the Missouri between Helena and Great Falls. Will be there around the fourth of July. It's artificials only. We will be in a drift boat. Have fished it in the past with success on rainbows and smaller browns using wolly buggers and panther martins. Might try pulling plugs. I know there is a good population of crawdads they feed on. Does anyone have any hot ideas they have used successfully?

Fish Hunter,
Even though plugs (w/ single barbless) are technically legal, you'd better prepare for enemy fire if you fish that way on the Missouri. I've never seen anyone use anything other than flies and you will probably end up tarred and feathered by the locals.
Send an e-mail to Joe Bloomquist at the Missouri River Lodge (http://www.missouririverlodge.com) and he'll tell you what flies to use. If you REALLY want to get into the fish, hire Joe for one day to figure it out and then absolutely slay them from your own boat for the rest of your trip.
There are about 7,000 bows per river mile in the Missouri. If you really want browns, go to the Blackfoot.
Kevin

I have seen Inn and will stop in.Thanks tvhosts. This will be my fourth trip over there this year. The first two trips we did well w/ flies, and I'm not unhappy w/flies over there. The third trip I did day floats for three days with two ex-local guys. I took fly gear, they brought spin gear. It was obvious right away that the two methods were not compatible in the same boat , with me rowing. I reluctantly borrowed a spin rod and proceeded to have a great time. I'll be better prepared to fish spinners this year with the same ex-locals. I'm thinking that 4" olive wolly buggers on a 6' leader behind a low key hot n tot for a diver could be effective at dawn for really big fish. It should provide some interesting looks from the way too up tight L.L. Bean crowd.