I recently purchased a 1990 stalker 150 with a Mariner 40. I paid $1500 for the boat and feel it was a pretty good deal it needs bits and pieces I’ve been taking care of but I launched the boat the other day for the first time with a friend we made a few runs up and down rainbow reservoir in Windsor ct not far from my hometown. The boat performed flawlessly and planed out fairly quickly with a decent hole shot. We idled around for a few and I noticed the transom was getting lower in the water. I went to make my way towards shore and the boat would not plane out. I ended up opening the live well hatches and they were both full ( I didn’t plug them before going out) I assumed at first that there was a fuel issue as I didn’t clean the tank or carbs and the boat had sat for a few years but to the contrary there was no break up or misfire just seemed the boat didn’t have enough to get on pad. Anyways I pulled tank which wasn’t horrible but nonetheless got cleaned inside and out as well as pickup tube screen After pulling the tank I pulled carbs.... they were immaculate not even a hint of varnish ANYWHERE nothing I was surprised replaced fuel filter and fuel lines. Fired boat up runs good. So my question is is it possible that the boat just didn’t have the power to get on pad with the full live wells approx (200lbs) myself (300lbs) my friend (140lbs) and 6 gallons of fuel? The boat fired up immediately and has good compression 125-130 across cylinders. A friend thinks I’m crazy to think it doesn’t have the power to get on pad but I really feel that was the issue.i should add there was no water in the bilge and not much gear on the boat I my passenger drive while I was kneeling in front the casting deck and the boat did start to want to plane but it just didn’t have enough Thanks sorry for the long winded post