I think it depends on so many variables I would hate to generalize to much. Both ways are possible and each presents its own obstacles to overcome. IMO it really is fact dependant. Some factors are , pond size , productivity , fish species present , budget , work effort of owners , location (regional differences are huge) , current status of each fish population , feeding or not , fertilizing or not (if needed) , fish species available to stock , status of the pond at the time (carrying capacity questions) etc.