I'm back - with a filter question

Wow, I have off this ng for a long time. This is Gary from San
Diego/Carlsbad area. To you long timers, I used to go by Wallygator and
AbbeyRoad a long, long time ago. Here is my pond question that I hope
someone can answer.

I have a 2500 gallon pond with Sequence 1/4 hp, and Aqua Ultra filter and UV
It was installed a few years back and was wonderful until this year. As the
fish have grown, the filter has clogged and now it is a quite a challenge to
keep the pond crystal clear. In fact, the pond used to be swimming pool
clear, but is not closer to city park pond - meaning about a foot of
visability.

Local pond stores are telling me to upgrade both filter and pump. The are
recommending the 1/2 hp Sequence 7200 and the larger Aqua filter that is
made for a 4000 gallon pond. I totally understand the supersize concept,
and if cost were no object that is a good solution. But here are my
questions:

1. I was thinking of just upgrading the pump for now to get better flow
for the waterfall. Any problems you can see with keeping the existing
"undersized" filter and just backwashing daily?

2. The current filter is pretty clogged. I could take it apart, but that
is a huge mess. Do you believe the pond store that is telling me that a
1/2hp pump will blow out all the poop and eliminate me mucking with this? I
am trying to avoid taking the filter apart unless I have to.

Any other advice? Thanks all,

Gary