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Brainerd, MN—Brand new on the market, the M-POW-R ReelTM and Rod Combo is designed to assist disabled anglers in retrieving lures and landing fish. The combo features a battery operated, motorized spinning reel, paired with an extended butt, medium action spinning rod which offers additional leverage and fits easily into any standard rod holder.

The entire package consists of the rod and reel, a fanny pack battery, and a pulse width modulated speed control, which provides optimum torque throughout the motor’s power band. Anglers operate the reel with a thumb-actuated button located on the rod grip just above the reel. A backup reel handle and a power point adapter plug are also included. 

The brainchild of Dr. Roland “Doc” Kehr, former co-owner of the Lindy Little Joe tackle company, the M-POW-R combo was developed for Doc’s son Nathan, who has cerebral palsy and is unable to use his left arm and hand.

Nathan, growing up in the Brainerd Lakes area of Minnesota, has been an avid angler all his life, but his disability limited his enjoyment of the sport. He could cast with his right arm and reel with his right hand, but he couldn’t do both simultaneously, impeding his ability to fight and land fish. He had to rely on his fishing partner, most often his father, to either hold the rod or operate the reel. Doc was determined to find a solution.

After years of research and development, with a great deal of valuable input and advice from Doc’s contacts in the fishing industry, including such angling luminaries as Al Lindner, Dan Sura, Dave Csanda and Jeff Zernov, that solution has finally become a reality. Now, with the assistance of the M-POW-R combo’s motorized reel, Nathan is able to retrieve virtually

The motor is powerful enough to reel in fish up to three pounds all by itself, and fish much larger can be landed by pumping the rod and taking up slack with the many type reel on the down stroke. Nathan’s largest fish caught with the M-POW-R combo so far has been a ten-pound northern pike, proving the unit’s power and durability.

“We’re very excited about sharing this new technology with other disabled anglers,” said Dr. Kehr. “It’s enabled my son Nathan to fully experience the thrill of fighting and landing more and bigger fish, and we’re confident it will empower many more people facing physical challenges to truly appreciate and enjoy this great sport.” 

The M-POW-R NK-100 FISHING REEL™ was named for Nathan Kehr who inspired it. 

Fishing was in Nate’s blood, and he grew up among some of the best in the sport. 

Ironically, an injury at birth had left Nate with cerebral palsy, rendering his left hand and arm nearly useless. This unfortunate condition obviously presented serious challenges in the pursuit of his favorite pastime. But Nate was determined to overcome his disability.

Using only his right arm, he taught himself to cast with deft accuracy, and fine-tuned his presentation skills. Over time, he became a knowledgeable and accomplished angler, able to hook more than his share of fish. But that was where his greatest challenge arose. 

With only one arm, he couldn’t effectively fight and land his catch. He could reel with his right hand… he could manipulate the rod with his right arm. But he couldn’t do both. Even using rod holders or securing the rod between his legs and resorting to simply reeling, he was missing out on the true excitement of the sport— playing and landing a big fish. 

In 1986, when Nate was 15 years old and still struggling with his predicament, a possible solution presented itself. In-Fisherman magazine published an article featuring a battery-operated, motor-driven fishing reel designed to assist disabled anglers. Convinced that this would be the solution to Nate’s handicap, Doc bought one. 

Naturally, Nate was ecstatic. And sure enough, it worked. Just not very well. The motor was underpowered and unable to reel in anything much heavier that the lure itself. Nate found he could pump a fish in using the rod, then try to pick up the slack with the motor as he dropped the rod for another pump. Again, the motor just wasn’t fast or powerful enough to be of much help. 

But the solution was there— the hardware simply needed to be improved. And Doc Kehr set his sights on doing just that. Working with his friends in the fishing industry, as well as his contacts in the manufacturing and sourcing businesses, the M-POW-R REEL™ was born. And now, after years of design and development, Nate’s dream is a reality. 

Finally, Nate has a battery-operated, motor-driven reel that performs as it should. It is powerful, reliable, durable, easy to use, and able to retrieve larger lures and spinnerbaits. At long last, Nate can truly enjoy the thrill of fighting and landing big fish— every bit the full fishing experience able-bodied anglers take for granted. 

We at M-POW-R Fishing are very proud to make this exciting new product available for disabled and impaired anglers everywhere. We invite you to explore our website and learn more about how the M-POW-R REEL™ can help you get the most out of your precious time on the water. 

My rehabilitation involved disappointment of what was available for me, followed by frustration that no one seemed to "get it",  followed by anger in the total sense of patronizing apathy,  leading to a healthy dose of self-pity. If you've survived life-changing trauma you know. However, that cauldron of emotion functions like a blacksmith's hearth on the soul, burning out the impurities in a flame so hot, just the act of looking seems to burn. Cooling takes time but the result is cold, hard, and resolute. Something that will hold an edge, destroy armies, span oceans, and support skyscrapers that reach into the heavens. It produces the gall to scream to a world that has forsaken me, a world I cannot leave, and to which I cannot adapt, through tears of triumph over the abyss ... "Then I will change THIS World." 

“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime”  - Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu, founder of Taoism.

I decided I could have far greater impact by mobilizing the talents so I resolved of everyone feeling similar frustration and resolve. To make the mobility impaired in this world the best artists, doctors, musicians, educators, lawyers, business persons, and political leaders they could be.

      Jeremiah 29:11-14 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the LORD, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the LORD, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile. 

For the past 14 years I've been designing, manufacturing, and distributing, our range of assistive technology tools to empower mobility impaired individuals with upper extremity limitations to do whatever it is they do best. 

Accomplishments:

My team and I have created where nothing prior existed, the only comprehensive line of adaptive video game controllers allowing anyone regardless of ability or disability to play online, competitively as an equal and no one knows they are disabled until they decided to reveal they were just beat by someone using only their mouth, head, and eyes!  Numerous service organizations focused on adaptive gaming and even alternative designs clearly inspired by one of ours have popped up since. Others were working tirelessly on including the disabled in gaming long before we came along. But we showed through example what was possible, that INCLUSIVITY didn't require corporate benevolence to develop special games that could be played with a single button,  We allowed We are the only company to support 100% of the games on every console and platform ever made. We are the only company to design a controller so simple it can be completely customized, programmed, and remapped using only a button and LED light without any need to plug it into a computer or download software. 

We also want to convey our special thanks for their help in designing and developing the M-POW-R REEL™ to our friends Al Lindner, Dan Sura, Dave Csanda, Gary McEnelly, Jeff Zernov, Jeff Olson, Bob Slaybaugh, Rick Hammer and Mickey Johnson, without whose advice and support this product would never have been possible.