Another gas - primer bulb?

[sfischer]

recently at full throttle or idle (trolling) my motor would bog down and the primer bulb would be empty. So I would pump it till it got hard while motor is running and it would be fine again for a few hours. Recently it did it again and shut down as if out of gas. Yesterday morning the primer bulb was sucked flat. I switched my tank to reserve and pumped bulb till hard and ran in the reserve setting all day and had no issues. Yes there is gas in it half a tank. Have also noticed in the last month a gas smell in back of boat when shut off while fishing. Any ideas what could be causing this?
2000 Alumacraft tour pro 175 tiller
1997 honda 75hp
thanks
shane

[REW]

Shane,
If you leave your gas cap off the tank, do you still have the issue.

If so, possibly your fuel tank vent is plugged.

REW

[mudpuppy]

If its not the vent it could be the anti-siphon valve is bad/clogged. Also check your fuel pick up screen. It might be plugged. If it is plugged in the tank, then you have to figure out what is in your tank that is clogging your screen. Older tanks sometimes have varnish build up which comes loose and clogs things up. You just never know what might find its way into your tank. My tank developed holes in the top and let dirt in and also had the fuel smell you described.