MPOWR Fishing LLC, a company developing and producing battery-assist fishing reels, was founded by Dr. Roland E. Kehr, Jr. in 2012. He was a former owner of Lindy-Little Joe Tackle Company for 28 years and Chairman of the Board.  He developed the Rouser and Shake-E-Blade Rigs for the company in 2007. After the sale of the company in 2008 to PRADCO Outdoor Products, he went on to develop the Bait Puck Plus, an ice fishing accessory sold by StrikeMaster Corporation. He retired from dentistry in 2020 after practicing for 50 years in Brainerd, MN. His oldest son, Nathan, is afflicted with Cerebral Palsy as a result of a birth injury and has no use of his left hand and arm. This led to his interest in developing  a battery-assist fishing reel.

Dr. Kehr collaborated with Jeff Zernov (developer of the Aqua Vu underwater camera) in designing a 12 volt battery powered open face spinning reel for individuals who have  use of only one hand. The MPOWR Fishing Reel was introduced in 2014. Later, in 2016, Mark Felling, a quadriplegic electrical engineer, added his expertise to product development. A miniaturized PWM (Pulse Width Modulator) speed controller was added to the original power button case and this combo could be secured to the right or left side of a fishing rod with a VELCRO strap.

In 2019 Dr. Kehr sold the remaining original reel inventory to Mark Felling’s company, Inclusive Inc. Inclusive Inc is the sole distributor of the original MPOWR Reel.

A 12 volt Lithium iron phosphate battery replaced the original lead acid battery in 2021. In testing, it could be used for three to four days before needing to be recharged. It was also small enough to fit in a jacket pocket or even some pants pockets.

In 2021 Dr. Kehr and Jeff Zernov started development on a battery assist closed face spinning reel. The battery assist Diawa Underspin 80XD trigger reel was introduced in early 2023. One raises the trigger, holds it and releases it when casting. Individuals who find it difficult to work the bail and line arrangement on an open face spinning reel should welcome the simplicity of a trigger reel. Persons suffering from arthritic fingers should find this a useful tool. This closed face reel shares all the accessories that are available with the original open face reel.

In late spring of 2022 Kehr and Zernov commenced developing a new 4000 series open face spinning reel, the Shimano SYNCOPATE 4000FG. Difficulties in designing a secure anchor for attaching the motor to the reel delayed extensive testing until the spring of 2023.

In May of 2022 Martin Griffin, of Orrick, Missouri, submitted an outstanding video of a fishing trip to Coles Lake, Ontario, Canada using the original MPOWR REEL that he purchased in 2021. Martin suffered a severe stroke six years earlier, forcing him to retire as a school superintendent and basketball coach. This condition really limited his fishing as his left arm and hand were rendered almost useless. The MPOWR REEL reopened the door so effectively that he and his partner produced the video without our knowledge. Since his fishing trip was an annual event going back a number of years, it was a no brainer to ask Martin to test the new 4000 series Shimano SYNCOPATE reel. He proceeded to test it on three separate trips to different lakes in Ontario, Canada in May, July and August of 2023.

The Shimano SYNCOPATE 4000FG and its components blew away the results of the previous year’s experience with the original MPOWR REEL outfitted with the same components.  Martin caught over 1000 Walleyes plus assorted Northen Pike and Smallmouth Bass without any failure of the reel or the components (power button, speed (Pulse Width Modulator) control and 3Ah 12v Lithium Iron Phosphate battery. On the last trip in August he trolled for Walleyes and Northern Pike, catching between 30 to 35 fish a day for nine days. He finally recharged the battery after eight days of fishing. Martin did produce two videos. Which like his original video, can be found on this website as well as our Facebook page (MPOWR Fishing). As Martin proclaimed in one of his videos, this battery assist reel package was a home run.

In August of 2023 Nathan and I were able to return to Fletcher Lake Lodge on Fletcher Lake Ontario, Canada for our 23rd trip in 20 years. It was the lake that we tested the original battery assist reels that Jeff Zernov collaborated on in 2013-2014. We didn’t take any “self-serving” videos since we had Martin’s videos. Nathan really liked the Shimano reel, commenting on how smooth and solid it felt.

In September of 2023 Dr. Kehr received a phone call from one of the top ten rehab hospitals in the country. One of their recreation therapy patients had come across Martin Griffin’s videos that were posted on the MPOWR Fishing Facebook page and was moved to inform the hospital as the hospital was looking for another source of battery assist fishing reels. This hospital’s recreation therapy department (20 recreation therapists) now has our two latest battery assist reel packages, the Shimano SYNCOPATE 4000FG open face reel and the Daiwa 80XD Underspin closed face reel.

In October of 2023 Dr. Kehr, through a mutual contact, Chad Waligura of Able Outdoors, contacted another top ten rehab hospital, employing 30 recreation therapists, to work a similar arrangement, whereby the hospital has two complete battery assist reel packages for their patients to try out. There are no plans to expand beyond these two rehab hospitals until it becomes clear that these arrangements are mutually beneficial to the patients, the hospitals and MPOWR FISHING LLC.

Another feature that’s unique to our reel package is the ability to add a Sip ‘N’ Puff accessory to to the power button module.This accessory allows a quadriplegic some actual participation in the sport of fishing. The patient would bite on a tiny bulb connected to a clear tubing which in turn is connected to a tiny device called a puff switch. This tiny switch, in turn, is connected by a short power cord that plugs into a jack built into our power module. This puff switch converts the increased air pressure from biting on the tiny  bite bulb or actual blowing into the clear tubing to electric current thereby powering the retrieval of the bait, lure or fish hands free. Of course a assistant is necessary to cast the bait or lure and set the rod in a holder on the wheel chair and remove the fish, if necessary, The assistant may have to set the hook in some situation involving non aggressive fish. The bottom line is that a quadriplegic can have some actual participation in the sport of fishing. This system could be useful for a person suffering from ALS/Lou Gehrig’s Disease. Both rehab hospitals mentioned earlier were given a complete Sip ‘N’ Puff kit.

These are just a few of the situations that our battery assist reels and their unique components can address. We are in the mid stages of  a couple of fly fishing guides on the Bighorn River testing an entirely different power/speed control module and line modifications that can be used with a fly rod. In 2014 Dr. Kehr tested an arrangement utilizing the original MPOWR REEL spooled with braided line ( taking advantage of the very small diameter of the braided line relative to the pound test of the line). We have a couple of videos showing  his success in catching Rainbow Trout with such a setup on the Bighorn River in Montana with guide Dennis Fischer. In 2017, Nathan Kehr used a similar setup on a fly rod to catch Smallmouth Bass on the Pine River out of a jet boat near Brainerd, MN while fishing with friends Mickey Johnson and Dan Sura.

The reason for the renewed interest and testing was prompted by the head fishing guide from the Bighorn Angler Fly Shop in Fort Smith, MT on the Bighorn River. Fly fishing guide John Sindland has a client who suffered a stroke that leaves him unable to fly fish. He asked if Dr. Kehr could come up with a viable solution to his client’s needs. There is a  different set of circumstances affecting the presentation of flys in moving water versus those in ponds and lakeshore. We hope to have answers by late spring or early summer 2024.

Dr. Roland Kehr can be reached at dockehr@brainerd.net    (218)-330-3983