I have mostly played with a flatpick for the last 35 years or so.

I started out fingerpicking, and accompanying singing Maybelle Carter style - plucking bass notes with a thumbpick and strumming with the index finger. My joke is that I switched to a flatpick after a couple of times jamming in bars and drinking beer when I went to the men's room and forgot to take the thumbpick off...not the only reason, but it was a factor.

Peter.