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OK, so you have loosened the fine shift adjustment on the shift lever. There are two things that must be loosened here before adjustments can be made. There is the screw that goes through the slot that is threaded into a square nut. But, there is also a screw facing in a different direction that helps secure the shift lever to the inner shift shaft. Both of these must be loosened slightly before adjustments can be made.
You are treading in dangerous waters here because it is critical that these adjustments be made properly, or premature clutch dog/gear lug damage will occur requiring gearcase tear down and expensive parts.
Don’t bother attempting to make those needle valve adjustments in a bucket of water, that is a waste of time. These adjustments must be made while the boat is underway/unrestrained in the water. The high speed needle is “dialed in” while running on the water at full throttle in gear, then the low speed needle is “dialed in” after slowing down while the engine is idling in gear. It seems like winter is almost here, so I wouldn’t bother trying to make these needle valve adjustments until next spring, unless you live in a warm climate and plan on continuing to use the boat during late fall/winter.