Where would you say are the best places for fishing on the Texas coast? What bait would you suggest I use?

You will find hundreds of miles of great fishing along the Gulf of Mexico coastline. This is a wonderful place to go fishing any time of year too. The weather is often very nice around this part of the world even in the winter time. You will want to prepare for weather though so check it out before you go fishing.
As far as bait it really depends on what types of fish you are after. Some species enjoy live bait or your can use lures. You may go with minnows, worms, crawdads, and more. You can also consider some home items such as shrimp, Lil Smokies, and even marshmallows.
I suggest you try some different types of bait to see what works well. You can also get a heads up by reading information online before you go fishing along the Gulf of Mexico Coastline. That will tell you what types of fish people are catching and the types of bait they used to do so.