The best way to keep an eel under control is too ice them down.

I use 2 five gallon buckets one inside the other you don't want a smaller bucket on top you need some room in the bottom bucket.

The top bucket you will drill holes in the bottom of it.(This is for the eels slime to drip into the bottom bucket or they will suffocate in their own slime)

So now the buckets are set up:You will also need a burlap bag or a couple of onion sacks I like the onion sacks they are easier to wash off.

Bring the buckets with you to pick up the eels so they are not in a bag of water that will kill them faster.

Put the eels in the top bucket the bags over the eels and ice on top of that(Flaked ice is to compact for this cubes are better)( you do not want the ice directly on the eels) you dont' need to bury them just a little ice will do the thing is keep the eels cool and damp this is where burlap is a little better.

The ice will slow them down easier to hook less inclined to get an eel ball while baiting anyway.As the ice melts it will wash enough slime out of the top bucket into the bottom bucket so they don't die.

Don't cover the bucket that will defeat the whole purpose bungee it down somewhere you don't want eels loose you will never find them all until its too late

I know there are plenty of new mesh bags out there but I have kept eels alive for 3-4 days iced down just keep them away from critters and the sun.And did you ever try to get one lively eel out of a bag of 6-12.

When they hit the water is when they come back to life, only fish eels w/ a slowing current or you are going to have one mess on your hands.

Just a bit of advice if you catch one bass on an eel don't change it you'll have a better chance to catch more bass on that one than a new one, as long as the tail curls when you hold it up its good to go.You might want to move this I just realized maybe not the spot for it just got caught up in this thread.