Major League Fishing tournament kicks-off Day 1 on St. Lawrence River | WWTI

MASSENA, N.Y. (WWTI) — Over 150 anglers threw out their casts on Thursday for the first day of the Major League tournament on the St. Lawrence River.

During the first day, Berkley Pro Angler John Cox from DeBary, Florida took the early lead after weighting a five-bass limit of St. Lawrence River smallmouth. His weigh-in totaled 24 pounds, 12 ounces. Cox shared that he was surprised that the took home the top spot on day one.

“I am in absolute shock to be leading this thing,” Cox said. “I’m not kidding, this was probably the worst practice that I have ever had before. Coming into today I was thinking, ‘If I can somehow catch 18 or 20 (pounds) and maybe catch a couple tomorrow I could get out of here with a check.’ And I would have taken that. I was shooting for 50^th place. So to weigh what I did today is just unreal.”

Cox is in a slim seven-ounce lead over…