The German publishers that acquired a lure brand

A magazine publisher has responded to a slowdown in advertising revenue by adding a lure brand to its portfolio.

Paul Parey, the German publisher of Fisch & Fang and Raubfisch magazines, has acquired the Hybrida predator brand and set up a new business to supply hard lures to wholesalers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the first of which are planned to go on sale in early 2026.

Paul Parey’s Head of Product Management, Georg Baumann, has explained to Angling International how, even though publishing will remain the strong core of the company’s business, Hybrida will generate extra revenue by combining the marketing power of Paul Parey with the reputation for design excellence earned by the lures developed Gregor Babiarz, who will stay on as product developer as part of the acquisition deal.

The move also represents a natural extension of the publisher’s small webshop which has been selling a limited range of own-brand lures direct to anglers since 2016, including a top-seller designed in conjunction with Babiarz.

Said Baumann (centre of picture below): “One of the biggest assets is our direct connection to anglers. We reach 68,000 anglers every month via our publications and have an audience of 200,000 YouTube subscribers. They trust us on tackle and trends.

“The proof comes from the lures we offer for direct sale online. In 2016 Paul Parey launched its first in-house lure, the Zanderkönig (below), designed by our editor and passionate angler Birger Domeyer in collaboration with Gregor Babiarz from Hybrida. At the time, night fishing for zander was still a niche method known only to specialists. But after we published the first articles and videos explaining the technique, it quickly became a trend and sales for the Zanderkönig took off.

“It’s proof that we have the platforms and expertise at Paul Parey to create demand, and retailers know that. They have had people coming into their shops asking for our lures. Until now, however, we were unable to supply the trade directly. That’s changing thanks to our acquisition of Hybrida.”

The deal to acquire the Hybrida business was confirmed in January and the first lures are already under development, guided by the expert hand of Babiarz.

“We know it makes sense to market lures to anglers and sell them through wholesalers, but ultimately sales will depend on the quality of the products,” said Baumann. “Keeping Gregor on board is essential to maintain Hybrida’s high standards in terms of innovation and quality. He is widely recognized as one of the top hard bait developers in the industry.

“It’s also why we have decided to continue operating the production facility in the Black Forest. This ensures that all our products will continue to be developed entirely in Germany – from prototype to field testing. That hands-on process is a big part of why Hybrida lures have such a strong reputation for quality and effectiveness.”

Baumann has confirmed that the first lure that the team is working on is the Zanderkönig 2.0, which will incorporate ‘several significant upgrades.’ He explained: “New production techniques allow us to include a modern long-cast system that makes the bait fly farther and with more stability — even in windy conditions. Additionally, the diving lip will now be molded as an integral part of the lure body instead of glued in afterwards. That improves durability considerably.”

And after that? “Our second upcoming product is a new bladejig, which we’ll release in two sizes. It’s still under wraps for now, but I can tell you that field tests have already produced some surprisingly big fish. We plan to make both models available to retailers by early 2026.”

And what of the conflict of interests with other lure brands that advertise in Paul Parey’s magazines and who now find that the publisher is a competitor with its own lures? Surprisingly, there have been no major concerns. The key, said Baumann, has been open communication.

“We have been transparent from the start, which our partners appreciated. They understand why Paul Parey is taking this step. In fact, we have strong partnerships with many of them – including joint projects and exclusive product editions in our shop. It means many of our advertising clients actually benefit from our business expansion rather than seeing it as competition.”

Baumann added that feedback on the launch of the lures from wholesalers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland has been ‘overwhelmingly positive’ and that, all being well, rods will follow in 2026 then soft baits in 2027. “We plan to be a full-range brand for predator fishing,” he said.