I bring a bucket of dry sand to shake them in. It coats and drys them out so they are easier to handle. Even the rags will get slippery after a few eels. The sand helps.

Use those green kitchen scrubbies to grip the eels...much better than rags. Get a bundle of 'em for a buck at the dollar store.

I like eels better at night than during the day, but that is just my experience. 3-way them in deep water or cast them unweighted and work them just like a plug in the shallows at night. DEADLY