Larry, I fish for them basically the same way. A large bobber about the size of a baseball, about three feet down about a 3/8 oz sinker, then about a foot to a wire leader and a #2 hook on the end of that. Then like you use a 4-6" sucker for bait hooked just under and behind the dorsal fin.
I missed two other really good bites. One straightened the hood and one I just plain missed. It is exciting to see a bobber the size of a baseball go under and keep going.
Oh yah, I have caught hundreds of Northerns. I never keep them, but I had a buddy who loved them. He showed me a few times how to de-bone the Y bones, but that was years ago now as well and I can't remember any more either. It's all good though. I just enjoy catching them and releasing them.