Honda BF200 - Not running right - disapppointed

[Southerntoon]

I have done the following

1. Replaced Check Valve
2. Examined Pick-up tube - looks good.
3. Rerouted Gas Tank vent line to a side vent
4. Installed external inline water/fuel separator
5. Emptied internal water /fuel separator
6. Found fuel primer bulb leaking fuel when in small bind - replaced fuel bulb
6. put on a 14 3/4 x 16 Mercury Enertia 3 Blade Prop.
7. Checked oil Level - it is about 3/4 of the way between the low and full mark

After all of this the boat really seems no different. The primer bulb still does not get hard and the motor still seems to have a top end miss/ slight surging. At WOT the rpms go back and forth between 4800-5100 and runs around 24 mph. This was with 8 average size adults and one child.

I guess Now I will replace the low and high pressure fuel filters and maybe adjust the motor height.