TonyR,

This is not a sympton of plugged fuel filters as you found out.
Symptom of plugged filters is loss of power when engine is under a heavy load such as going up a steep hill
.
I would look it as a GP problem. Are the GP coming on when the hard start problem is present? Are you waiting long enough for the GP to heat? Don't rely on the dash GP light. It can be out of calibration like one of mine and cause you to try to start the engine too soon.

Try waiting about 30 seconds for the GP to heat and see what happens.

P E H