I can easily mute the E string with my plucking fingers but I’m struggling when trying to use my left hand to mute as instructed. The bass just seems to ring at the frequency around wherever I’ve tried to mute over the fret board.
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There are many ways to mute the notes. This depends on how and where they are played. One sure way to learn is to slow it way down, then you can figure the way to mute the notes. Once you can do it slow, you can do it faster.
I’d try muting in a different spot, e.g. if you’re muting on the third fret, try the fourth, and so on. And you can try muting with each left-hand finger etc. 
I was trying to mute over the 12th fret to get ready for the slide. But that just makes it ring up an octave no matter what I try. Down around the first few frets is seems to calm the string down a little better.
Josh doesn’t even make the muting a requirement, but it sounds all wrong without the staccato quarter notes.
As simple as that lesson is, perhaps I just take it really slow. My brain can’t quite handle the coordination. Too soft and it just changes the note, too hard and it smacks the frets. It’s like rubbing my head and belly at the same time.
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I think I figured it out some. Playing on the open E string I need to be somewhere around the third fret with very flat fingers. Anywhere else seems to sound sloppy. Going slow does help get the technique neurologically ingrained. It went from feeling impossible to just a little hard.
But I can still hear an ever so slight ring or fade of the note vs. a hard cut.
It’s a good feeling when you start seeing success. Good job, man 
Stay after it!
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Good work!
You figured it out… I think you have found the answer to your next 100 questions…
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The twelfth fret is a harmonic note, so it makes sense you heard a ringing sound. You could have a look at this post, if you have time for a deep dive into the topic.
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Are you muting with a single finger or multiple fingers? If you just use one finger, you are more likely to get a harmonic note ringing out. There are a number of spots along a string and usually easier to hit on a guitar, but a bass will do them as well. They are quite specific, so if you use 2 or 3 fingers, you might hit a harmonic with one of them, but the other fingers will mute it.
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Yeah harmonics can be a pain as well as useful! As well as the sound of them they’re great for tuning. For example that twelfth fret harmonic on the E is great for tuning it down to a dropped D as it will be (after tuning down) the same note as the open D string.
I experimented around and found multiple fingers required less precision to avoid harmonics.
I’m having to go super, super slow to mute the string and then make the slide from the 12th fret. 
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the more fingers you can get on the string to mute the better. one finger or even two (fret hand) tends to still let harmonics come through.
Is somewhere around the third fret usually the best location?
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you should mute in whatever area you are playing. trying to mute low on the neck and then readjust position to high on the neck to play the next note (just as an example) will make things way more difficult and drive you crazy. I like to lay all 4 fretting fingers flat across the strings if possible. you can also simultaneously mute with the plucking hand by touching the unwanted ringing strings. jaco once said something along the lines of do anything you can to stop them. it ain’t easy but becomes more second nature in time.
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No real best spot, but harmonics are more likely to sound of your touch is light. Try adding a bit more pressure without actually fretting the note and they should go away anyway.
I struggle a little with the percussive sound when doing that as well. But I’m getting better.
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