The bass player in my band uses all his fingers on his fretting hand, and wants to use the pinky on the picking, but can't. Or maybe it's the other way 'round, I forget...we were talking about it at practice yesterday.
He's timid when it comes to playing stuff on his own. He'll go all out slapping when we play something like Otherside or Paranoid(sounds like a mix of Steve Harris and Flea--he's awesome!), but usually he doubles the guitar or harmonizes or plays a bass version of the main riff along with the rhythm as our lead guitarist wanks.
I tell him to play like a 'third guitarist,' to shred or slap/pop during fills, or go off on a tangent during a breakdown riff or something. To use all five fingers as often or as much as he can.
He should listen to ITP, methinks.
Ann sure does a good job 
