Position an oven rack in the bottom third of the oven, and preheat the oven to 425°F. Place the unbaked pie crust in a deep dish pie plate and crimp the edges. If you are using homemade pie dough, freeze it for 20 minutes. (Alternatively, you can use a frozen crust that is already shaped.) Place the crust on a baking sheet and fill it with the chopped pecans. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the corn syrup, sugar, eggs, melted butter, vanilla, and salt until well combined. Pour over the pecans. (If desired, place additional pecan halves on top in a decorative pattern.) Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. Continue baking for 35 to 40 minutes or until the filling is puffed and the center wobbles slightly when gently shaken. Loosely tent with foil at any time during baking if the crust is browning too quickly. Let cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.