Im on record. I use split rings on all my spoons. I do not think it improves my catch rate. Nor does it decrease. It does help to protect my investment. We buy fifty spoons every winter. In the last four years, none of the 200 spoons we have have lost any paint. We fish 25 to 30 full days each season. Our catch rate is between 600 to 650 every year. That did fall to 470 last year, but im not blamin that on a ring.