Sounds like it is more comfortable and efficient for you to play with just three fingers and not worry about your pinky.
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I feel your “pain”, @chrisstl
But, there are many here (and out there in the world), who need to make do with less than “perfect” hands, fingers, shoulders, etc.
To put it very blunt: you have two options - either work with your condition and enjoy playing bass nonetheless; or quit
I have a pinky which is permanently curled to a certain degree and facing inwards (towards the ring finger), which means I don’t have the span I could have and I also have to fight issues with the pinky involuntarily touching higher strings etc.
While we probably should try and follow traditional rules as much as we can, don’t let orthodoxy get in the way of you enjoying playing bass and making music. Yes, perhaps certain licks or techniques might not be accessible for you, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be a badass bass player 
I can’t do the “spider exercise”, for instance, and will hit speed limits sooner than others. I make up for some of it by shifting my hand much more than strictly necessary… there are workarounds!
As the buddhists might say: Accept what is, and what can’t be changed!
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I didn’t really read the whole thread but has anyone noticed how thick and stumpy pro bass fingers look? I mean like Victor Wooten makes my sausage fingers look slender. 
That’s a misnomer. According to Josh, Victor has pretty small hands. Also, Josh doesn’t fit that statement, because he has alien spider fingers.
