This winter im changing hooks on crankbaits.I see there are oval ones,and wondered if they made that much of a difference? Also, are the factory rings the same as replacement? I figured since i had the hooks off,maybe replacing the rings with better quality ones. Any specific brands and sizes would be great, Thanks...........

The main difference for me is tying my line on in the wind. With round split rings I'd occasionally have to fight to keep the knot in the doubled up portion and keep it from slipping down into the single portion and then getting between the metal curls. Oval split rings keep the line on one end or the other naturally, and thus it's a lot easier to tie your knot.

Yep, Ryan is right.  Oval split rings are only used on the line tie, not on hooks.  I put them on all my hardbaits that come with round rings.  I hate tying to round rings because it's easy for your line to end up in the split.  If you want to buy aftermarket split rings to put on your hooks, Owner Hyper Wire rings are probably the best.

Oval rings are the best way to go for the line tie. It's a simple switch and makes your life much easier when you're switching out baits.