It sounds like "cooties" in the fuel system somewhere.
A little history on the motor - you just acquired it? it ran fine last year? etc.
A carb kit would be a good starting point - the full kit - these models have the fuel pump built right into the carb, so both get taken care of with a full carb overhaul.
It could also be a clogged up bleed line that scavenges excess fuel from the intake.
It could also be a bad crank seal or a bad intake gasket or a bad base gasket or clogged exhaust tube (and I can go on for quite a bit). That is why the "history" of the motor is so important. A problem that has progressively gotten worse may point in a specific direction - a problem that occurred out of the blue or instantaneously is a different matter.
These are fairly simple motors and I have worked on many over the years. If the motor is "new to you", at minimum I would redo the carb/fuel pump, water pump and change the lower unit oil.
This particular model is hard on upper crank seals, intake plate gaskets, powerhead base gaskets and coils (after they get to be 20 or so years old)
All of these "common issues", or/plus a clogged up carb/perforated fuel pump membrane could cause the issue you are experiencing...
