...my guess is you do have filters right, and are they part of the fuel pumps?
I do not have Fuel Water Separator installed.
Gee no fuel filters at all on the boat...
"What we have here, is Failure to communicate."
There are Fuel Filters, and then there are Water Separating Fuel Filters.
Don't confuse the two! The OP may be adding Water Separating Filters,
but that does not mean there are not Fuel Filters already part of the Fuel Pump that he may not be aware of.
Pumping unfiltered gas straight from the tank into the carburetor is just asking for trouble.
To me it sounds odd that a filter could be added anywhere. Perhaps anywhere between the tank and the pump, but above the pump? To me that sounds like asking for trouble as the pump would have to do extra work.
Once the fuel lines have been primed, and as long as you do not try to suck gas up more than ~40 feet;
The only thing that matters is the difference in the height of the two end of the fuel line.
The pump only works as hard as the difference between the pump inlet and the Top of the fuel level in the tank.
The path the fuel hose takes in getting to the pump has no effect on the pressure/suction at either end. Think "Siphon".
If the filter is located above both the tank and the fuel pump. Changing the filter will not involve a minor fuel spill every time.
Once you remove the filter, any fuel in the lines will tend to run away from the open lines instead of toward them.