Last week Rachel left home with James and Katie heading to Indiana. Katie was going to the camp my brother-in-law doctor found for his kids, that ours are now going to. The camp – called Backwater Legacies – teaches kids how to hunt, shoot, track, and be a good conservationist. While the camp is somewhat pricey (in my view) the instruction seems decent and the kids had fun.

Rachel and James were with our camper nearby Katie’s camp just north of the town of Loogootee, IN at a campground called West Boggs Park. They were there to be near Katie’s camp in case she needed them, and to enjoy some nature too. Katie’s camp ended on Friday, and James’ camp further north in Indiana, started today. So I drove up on Thursday morning, taking a couple days of vacation, to hang with the family for a long weekend.

It would seem that the lake at West Boggs (Google map) is a very good lake to fish and to use watercraft on! James caught quite a few fish there. The day I got there, James and I pulled out about 20 bluegill and several decent sized channel cats! Fun!

On Friday before picking Katie up from camp, we drove around to see what the area had for visitors, and we discovered Hindostan Falls, a very cool waterfall of only a few feet, but the falls run across a very wide river as the rock layer below the river simply broke off (or rose) at some point in geological history, making the falls possible.

While taking in the view (above) we noticed some large fish that would get near the falls and then quickly swim upstream like salmon. We later found out that these were indeed Asian grass carp (the fish you see jumping out of the water when motor boats are nearby). These are fish that are not native to the U.S. and were introduced to help with excessive vegetation on some of the country’s waterways. Currently they are mostly seen as dangers to waterways and are to be killed if caught. Oh, and did I mention that the fish we saw were 3′-4′ in length? They can get to 5′ and over 100 pounds!! So that is why we wanted to land one! You can too…

Since we all like to fish, we took up the challenge, but after a day of fishing for giant grass carp on catfish bait, grubs, and artificial bait, we found that these giant fish like vegetables. One site we read said that the fish most like cherry tomatoes, corn (like many trout do), and French fries! We spent hours for two days and never got more than a bite… likely NOT from an Asian grass carp.

Last night, we got some early fireworks courtesy of Loogootee, IN and their street fair. We managed to park just a block from where they were launching the fireworks! Camping at West Boggs was pretty nice, but they have WAY too many golf carts buzzing around for us. Pretty place though.

My favorite thing about the fishing and the falls was the giant sandstone rock just south of the east fork of the White River that was gouged out by many years of water current wearing away the surface as shown to left.

I’ve tried to find out more about the rock and the geography about the area, but the information I’ve read so far is thin (or boring). The rock itself is nearly 200 yards wide and about 400 yards long, and it is about the same height as the rock at the upper part of the river. So interesting.

The water seems to be around 5-10′ deep around the rock below the falls, and the current was moving along pretty swiftly the 2 times were were there. Great place to fish, but in the daytime sun (and heat) the lack of shade ran us off pretty quickly.

It seems there was a thriving town at Hindostan in the early 1800s, but like so many early settlements, sickness hit hard. Just up from the falls, travelers can see this historical marker.

In the rock on the river, you can see many post holes that were drilled into the rock. Based on what I’ve read so far, this is likely for the many house boats that were on the river, as well as likely mill works.

The best way to get to Loogootee and Hindostan falls from this area, is to take I-71 south to I-275 west, then taking US 50 to Loogootee, IN. Hindostan falls (and those Asian grass carp) are just up SR 550 and county road 55.

We also tried to learn more about the name “Loogootee” figuring it was native American, but resources so far suggest the name was less ‘Indian’ and more generic.

Got more to add about Asian grass carp, fishing, Loogootee, Indiana, or summer trips? Feedback always welcome!

By the way, US 50 is a beautiful drive in car or motorcycle! I think of US 50 as this area’s Route 66.